Niala Boodhoo, host of the podcast Axios Today, and Inkoo Kang, TV critic for The New Yorker, recommend the best things to read, watch, and listen to right now.

Then, director Kelly Fremon Craig shares her experience adapting Judy Blume’s seminal 1970 novel ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.’ for the screen.

You can find the complete list of recommendations at our website: https://trib.al/NFBwbMU

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Book club is back to discuss ‘Better the Blood’ by Michael Bennett! It’s about Hana Westerman, a Māori police detective who is hunting down a serial killer in Auckland, New Zealand.

Angeline Boulley, author of the YA novel ‘The Firekeeper’s Daughter,’ and Steph Matuku, a New Zealand author who writes YA books centered on Māori characters, join us. We discuss the parallels to the history of colonialism in the U.S. and the complexities of the serial killer’s mission. Warning, there are spoilers in this episode, so if you have not read the book yet, you can go back and listen to our spoiler-free interview with Michael Bennett first!

Thank you to all of the listeners who called in. We appreciate you!

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The Atlantic’s Shirley Li and ‘Articles of Interest’ host Avery Trufelman stop by to chat about the end of an era for Netflix’s DVDs, the popularity of voice notes, and the woman who spent 500 days in a cave.

Then, writer, actor, comedian, and musician Lane Moore joins us to discuss her new book ‘You Will Find Your People: How to Make Meaningful Friendships as an Adult.’

Plus, in this week’s installment of our Nerdy Jobs series, Micah Morton explains how food stylists make edible art.

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Margaret Willison, communications director and faculty for Not Sorry Productions, and Christina Tucker, host of the podcast ‘Wait, Is This a Date?,’ return to discuss the ethics of TV spoilers, NPR’s decision to leave the Twitter-sphere, and why HBO thinks Max is a good idea.

Then, one of our favorite chefs, Abra Berens, chats about her new book ‘Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit.’

Plus, we share another rendition of our Nerdy Jobs series, where we take a peek into a person’s very specific and maybe a little strange job. This week, we head to the opera to discover how a lighting designer brings stories to life through light. Marcella Barbeau is a freelance lighting designer based in New York City.

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We are bringing you a collection of stories from our Nerdy Job series! These profiles are a chance to learn about how a person ended up doing something super cool, surprising, and maybe even a little random.

We talk to board game designer Elizabeth Hargrave, professional Netflix binge-watcher Sherrie Gulmahamad, and knitting pattern designers Andrea Mowry, Jennifer Berg, and Safiyyah Talley.

Do you have a nerdy job? Do you know someone who does? Email us at NerdettePodcast at gmail!

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Our April book club pick is ‘Better the Blood’ by Michael Bennett. It is both a page-turning detective novel and a deep exploration of the lasting scars of colonialism. Hana Westerman, a Māori detective in Auckland, New Zealand, discovers that a series of murders are connected to the execution of a Māori chief by British colonial soldiers more than 150 years earlier. In pursuing the serial killer, Hana must confront her loyalties to both the police and her roots.

In this spoiler-free interview, we talk to Michael Bennett about his experience as the first Māori author to write a thriller about a Māori detective.

We will be back on the last Tuesday of the month to discuss the book, spoilers and all, and you can participate! Record a voice memo with your thoughts on the book and email the file to NerdettePodcast at gmail. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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This week, Justin Richmond, host of the new podcast ‘Started From the Bottom,’ and Bridget Todd, host of the podcasts ‘There Are No Girls on the Internet’ and ‘City Cast DC,’ stop by to talk about an AI-generated image of the pope, a party that only people named Ryan can attend, and the return of Succession for its final season.

Then, food writer and chef Tamar Adler tells us about ‘The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A to Z.’ In it, she argues that repurposing leftovers is not just about being frugal, but it is actually the way that great cooking is done.

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Since Rebecca Makkai’s novel ‘I Have Some Questions for You’ follows a podcast host who is investigating a crime, we decided to ask two podcast hosts who have done the same to talk about it! Jonquilyn Hill is the host of the Vox podcast ‘The Weeds’ and the former host of the WAMU podcast ‘Through the Cracks.’ Jason Moon is a reporter and producer at New Hampshire Public Radio, where he hosts ‘Bear Brook.’

Spoiler warning! We discuss what happens in this book in detail. You can find our spoiler-free interview with author Rebecca Makkai in our feed.

Next month, we are reading ‘Better the Blood’ by Michael Bennett! Read it, then send us a voice memo at NerdettePodcast at gmail.

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This week, we are making space to commemorate three years since COVID first hit the U.S. Shoes Off: A Sexy Asians Podcast co-hosts Susie An and Esther Yoon-Ji Kang of WBEZ help us to reflect on what we learned about ourselves during the past three years and what we hope to keep with us in the future.

Plus, actor Mae Whitman tells us about starring in the new Hulu musical ‘Up Here,’ out now! You may remember Mae as Anne Veal from ‘Arrested Development’ (her? Yes, her.). We chat about treating yourself gently, the power of vulnerability and how Mae got the courage to take on her first singing role.

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This week on Nerdette, we feature two of our favorite interviews from 2022, both with people who work to find hope and joy in tandem with difficulty and grief.

First up is Dylan Marron, whose book ‘Conversations with People Who Hate Me’ is based on what he learned from his podcast with the same name.

Then, poet Ross Gay reflects on an often overlooked emotion in his newest book, ‘Inciting Joy.’

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