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July’s Nerdette Book Club pick is the historical novel 'Loot' by Tania James!

The story opens in Mysore, India when a young wood carver named Abbas is summoned to the Sultan’s palace to help make a mechanical tiger. The novel spans continents and decades, but that tiger is at the center of the story. It’s based on the real artifact ‘Tippoo’s Tiger’ in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London that depicts a tiger mauling a British soldier.

In this spoiler-free interview with the author, we talk about writing a delightful, propulsive plot that also deals with the legacy of colonialism.

Throw a copy of 'Loot' in your beach bag and read along with us! We’ll be back the last Tuesday of the month for a spoiler-filled discussion of the book. You can take part in the conversation by sending a voice memo with your thoughts on the book to [email protected].

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ICYMI podcast hosts Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim, stop by to play our new game, Burden or Delight? We consider the Army’s new tactical bras, location sharing, and Fall Out Boy’s updated version of Billy Joel’s classic “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

Then, we dive into the Guinness Book of Records. Journalist and author Imogen West-Knights tells about how the company known for the world’s most odd and outrageous titleholders has lasted for over half a century.

Plus, Amy Brady unpacks the surprising history of ice. In her new book Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks–A Cool History of a Hot Commodity, she argues that the ice industry transformed the United States in ways that might surprise you.

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Nerdette Book Club is back to discuss our June pick ‘The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi’ by Shannon Chakraborty. The book weaves together fantasy and history in a propulsive plot set on the high seas of the Indian Ocean in the 12th century.

Our protagonist is Amina al-Sirafi, a retired pirate who is called back to the high seas for one last job. She rallies her old crew and embarks on the treasure hunt of a lifetime, encountering all kinds of creatures and devious characters along the way.

Our panelists are Meha Ahmad, senior producer for WBEZ’s daily talk show Reset, and Christina Orlando, writer and books editor at Tor.com. This conversation includes spoilers! If you have not read the book yet, you can find our spoiler-free interview with Shannon Chakraborty in our feed.

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Aisha Harris, co-host of the NPR show ‘Pop Culture Happy Hour,’ joins us to chat about her new book ‘Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture That Shapes Me.’ The book is a testament to the fact that, whether we want to or not, we inevitably learn a lot about the world from TV shows and movies and music videos. In essays on everything from the Spice Girls to film critic Roger Ebert to ‘King Richard,’ Aisha explores her own relationship to pop culture over the past three decades, both as a consumer and a critic.

Then, we dive into the world of cartoons as part of our ongoing Nerdy Jobs series. In this installment, we follow Tyler Washington’s path from her childhood love of shows like 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' to her job as a storyboard artist and revisionist.

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In our new game “Burden or delight?,” we ask our panelists to determine if stories from the week’s news are in fact burdensome or delightful. To give it a try, we invited WEBZ metro reporter Adora Namigadde and 'The Rundown' podcast host Erin Allen to play along with us. We consider a surprise discovery of one million pennies, a new single from The Beatles, and waking up at your own funeral.

Then, we talk to author Jessi Kneeland about their new book 'Body Neutral: A Revolutionary Guide To Overcoming Body Image Issues.'

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Way back in the year 2013, “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore was at the top of the charts, President Obama began his second term, and Disney released the blockbuster Frozen. But perhaps most importantly, the podcast Nerdette was born.

In this anniversary episode, co-host emeritus Tricia Bobeda rejoined Greta behind the mic to reflect on ten whole years of the show. They also welcomed back Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, who co-hosted Nerdette Recaps with the pair. We also get the chance to hear from two ten-year-olds who discuss what it really means to be ten years old.

As part of the celebration, we are inviting listeners to our long-distance birthday party with a cake decorating contest! The winner will receive a $250 gift card to Bookshop.org. Plus, since we believe in participation awards, all entrants will receive a Nerdette bookmark! Click HERE for more information.

To mark the occasion, we’re also unveiling a new logo designed by WBEZ’s Laura Vergara!

Here’s to ten more years!!!!

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June’s Nerdette Book Club pick is The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty! It is the first of a new trilogy about pirates, magic, and mystical artifacts. While the book is technically fantasy, it is also deeply grounded in the history of the Crusades.

Author Shannon Chakraborty joined us for this spoiler-free conversation about mixing fantasy and history, middle-aged protagonists, and her pandemic writing process.

We will be back for a panel discussion on the last Tuesday of June! Read along with us, then send us a voice memo with your thoughts. You can send the file to [email protected]. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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This week, scholar, author, and organizer Eve Ewing joins forces with X-Ray Vision podcast co-host Jason Concepcion to talk about Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown and the importance of soft pants.

Then, podcast host and TV writer Jamie Loftus stops by to tell us about her new book Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs. It’s a travelogue with a slice of American history, a squirt of capitalist critique, and a dollop of relish on top!

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This month’s book club selection is Idra Novey’s Take What You Need, a novel that centers around Jean, an older woman who welds giant sculptures in her rural Pennsylvania living room, and Leah, her estranged ex-stepdaughter.

We’re joined by two novelists who wrote books that came out in 2022: Cleyvis Natera, the author of Neruda on the Park, and Fellowship Point author Alice Elliott Dark for a reflection on the imperfections of love, the importance of art, and the narrative structure of the novel.

A warning: there are spoilers in this episode! If you have not read the book yet, you can go back and listen to our spoiler-free interview with Idra Novey first!

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Nerdette had the great privilege of hosting a live WBEZ event with Samantha Irby to celebrate the release of her newest book Quietly Hostile. Like her other books, it’s a collection of essays that span a huge variety of topics. She writes about lesbian nun porn fantasies, living with teenage stepkids, why her wife has SO many condiments in their fridge, and chronic illness. (If you’ve read Sam’s work before, you won’t be surprised to hear it includes a lot of diarrhea.)

In addition to her essays, Sam also writes for TV. She wrote for And Just Like That…, the new Sex and the City reboot, along with the cartoon Tuca & Bertie and the Hulu adaptation of Lindy West’s book Shrill.

We chatted about her relationship to fans who know intimate details about her life, why she hates New York, and her favorite toilet paper.

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