Reader's Table

In today's episode, we are going to discuss anything, from books to movies and beyond!

In the Season 2 Finale, we are going to talk about upcoming interviews on Reader's Table, our thoughts on reboots, short stories, and other things! As always, we are ending this one with a Q&A, so stick around for some community questions!

In today's episode, we are going to discuss the game "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" by Nintendo.

In today's episode, we are going to discuss the movie "Gunpowder Milkshake" directed by Navot Papushado.

In today's episode, we are going to discuss the movie "The Lighthouse" directed by Robert Eggers, starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson.

What happens when Norse mythology is retold from the perspective of the woman beside Loki? In this BookBites episode of Reader’s Table, we discuss The Goddess of Nothing At All by Cat Rector and the way the novel reimagines familiar myths through Sigyn’s story.

We talk about the relationship between Sigyn and Loki, the appeal of myth retellings, and how the book explores love, power, loyalty and identity inside a world shaped by gods, prophecy and conflict.

Along the way, we reflect on what changes when a well-known mythology is viewed from a different perspective, and why retellings can make ancient stories feel personal, emotional and new again.

If you enjoy Norse mythology, character-driven fantasy, myth retellings and stories about complicated relationships between gods and mortals, pull up a chair and join us at the table.

Listener Seat: Which figure from Norse mythology would you most like to see retold from a new perspective?

Follow Reader’s Table on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/readerstable

More from Reader’s Table and Nick Roth:
https://nickrothbooks.com

What happens when someone feels fundamentally disconnected from the people around them? In this BookBites episode of Reader’s Table, we discuss No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai and its bleak, deeply personal portrayal of alienation, shame and the struggle to belong.

We talk about the novel’s confessional voice, the distance between the self we present to others and the self we hide, and the way Dazai explores loneliness, performance, despair and the fear of being truly known.

Along the way, we reflect on why No Longer Human has remained such a powerful and unsettling work of Japanese literature, and why its themes still resonate with readers drawn to psychologically intense, introspective fiction.

If you enjoy literary fiction, existential themes, unreliable narrators and stories that confront the darker parts of identity and belonging, pull up a chair and join us at the table.

Listener Seat: Do you think the deepest loneliness comes from being alone—or from feeling unseen even when you’re surrounded by people?

Follow Reader’s Table on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/readerstable

More from Reader’s Table and Nick Roth:
https://nickrothbooks.com

What do we owe the people we love—and is honesty always the kindest choice? In this TableTalks episode of Reader’s Table, we discuss The Farewell, directed by Lulu Wang and starring Awkwafina.

We talk about the film’s emotional restraint, its portrayal of family and cultural difference, and the tension between individual truth and collective responsibility.

Along the way, we reflect on grief, belonging, identity, and the complicated ways families protect one another—sometimes through honesty, and sometimes through silence.

We also discuss the film’s quiet humor, performances and atmosphere, and why such a seemingly simple story can leave such a lasting emotional impact.

If you enjoy thoughtful films about family, culture, identity and the things people struggle to say out loud, pull up a chair and join us at the table.

Listener Seat: Do you think protecting someone from the truth can ever be the right thing to do?

Follow Reader’s Table on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/readerstable

More from Reader’s Table and Nick Roth:
https://nickrothbooks.com

What makes a story worth coming back to—and what kind of show do we want Reader’s Table to be? In this season-finale TableTalks episode, we step back from individual reviews and talk about the stories, ideas and conversations that define the podcast.

We share some of our favorite books and movies of the year, debate fiction versus non-fiction, talk about Stephen King and the kinds of stories that stay with us, and reflect on the identity of Reader’s Table itself.

We also answer listener questions in a Q&A and look back on the first season of the show—what worked, what surprised us, and where we want to go next.

If you enjoy conversations about books, movies, storytelling, creativity and the reasons certain stories matter to us personally, pull up a chair and join us at the table.

Listener Seat: Do you usually reach for fiction or non-fiction—and what makes one more meaningful to you than the other?

Follow Reader’s Table on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/readerstable

More from Reader’s Table and Nick Roth:
https://nickrothbooks.com

In today's episode, we are going to discuss Promising Young Woman, a movie directed by Emerald Fennell, starring Carey Mulligan.

What happens when society collapses—and the survivors are forced to decide what kind of world comes next? In this BookBites episode of Reader’s Table, we discuss The Stand by Stephen King and the way it blends apocalyptic horror, character drama and an almost mythic struggle between good and evil.

We talk about the novel’s sprawling cast, the aftermath of Captain Trips, and the contrast between ordinary human survival and the larger moral forces pulling the characters toward opposing sides.

Along the way, we reflect on fear, community, faith, leadership and the way King turns the end of the world into a story about what people choose to become when familiar structures disappear.

If you enjoy Stephen King, post-apocalyptic fiction, horror, large ensemble casts and stories about morality under extreme pressure, pull up a chair and join us at the table.

Listener Seat: What do you think makes The Stand endure most—the apocalypse, the characters, or the battle between good and evil?

Follow Reader’s Table on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/readerstable

More from Reader’s Table and Nick Roth:
https://nickrothbooks.com