Red Wine Reads

This week, we read Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

This classic novel follows Yosarian, a bombardier in the army who faces a Catch-22 where he can’t leave the army until he proves he’s crazy, but he can’t prove he’s crazy without actually proving he’s sane. 

Abby Williams, who Googled Catch-22 before we hopped on this podcast recording, joins me today to talk about a book that had us scratching our heads and re reading pages to make sure we didn’t miss anything. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Why Jenna couldn’t even finish the book


• Why we never knew where or when we were in this novel


• Why we couldn’t relate to any characters because there were wayyyyy too many of them

Open your book and press play on a podcast episode that will have you wondering, “Why did we have to read this book in school?”

Mentioned in the Pairings section of the podcast:

• DRINK: MREs, Long Island Iced Tea


• TV SHOW - Riverdale, Catch-22 


• BOOK - Slaughterhouse-Five, The Sympathizer 


• MOVIE - Across the Universe, Hacksaw Ridge

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Once you're done listening, hop onto our Instagram and TikTok @rwreadspodcast to give us your thoughts on the discussion and the book. We look forward to hearing from you!

This week, we read My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh.

CONTENT WARNING: We talk about depression and suicide ideation in this episode, so please take care while listening.  

This novel follows the journey of an unnamed protagonist as she puts herself in a medically-induced sleep for an entire year. It dives into issues surrounding depression, friendships, and sense of purpose with a touch of dark humor. 

Sierra Marshall, who loves to get a full eight hours of sleep, joins me today to talk about why one of us loved this book and why one of us just couldn’t get into it. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Why this main character is both hard to relate to and also just a little too similar to us than we’d like.


• The absolute s**t show that is this woman’s psychiatrist.


• How two people can feel so different while reading the same book. 

Open your book and press play on a podcast episode that will have you feeling verrrrryyyyy sleepy. 

Mentioned in the Pairings section of the podcast:

• DRINK: Manhattan, Camomile Tea with a splash of whiskey 

• TV SHOW - Sex and the City, Community - Cooperative Calligraphy


• BOOK - The Lonely City, The Color Purple, Normal People


• MOVIE - Life Itself, Malcolm and Marie 

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Once you're done listening, hop onto our Instagram and TikTok @rwreadspodcast to give us your thoughts on the discussion and the book. We look forward to hearing from you!

This week, we read The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. 

This horror novel is one that tells the story of American Indians, one wrong choice, and the value of respecting Mother Nature. 

Ella Kopeikin, who would win a game of basketball against the elk head woman, joins me today to talk about a book that left us wanting more and questioning a lot. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Why the protagonist was a girl who’s entire identity was related to high school basketball.


• Why we were rooting for the villain, who ended up not getting the ending she deserved. 


• What the f**k happened to Jo? 

Open your book and press play on a podcast episode that will have you never look at an elk the same way again. 

Mentioned in the Pairings section of the podcast:

• DRINK: Long neck beer like a Budweiser 


• TV SHOW - The Rains of Castamere aka “Red Wedding” episode from Game of Thrones, Reservation Dogs


• BOOK - NDN Girls Book Club, We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Glass Hotel 


• MOVIE - IT, The Uninvited, Prey

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Once you're done listening, hop onto our Instagram and TikTok @rwreadspodcast to give us your thoughts on the discussion and the book. We look forward to hearing from you!

This week, we read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. 

This classic novel sends us into space with nothing but a towel and an alien friend. This series is adored by science fiction fans all over the world, so we wanted to see if it was worth the hype. 

Rebekah Sausmikat, who always has a towel with her, joins me today to talk about a 150-page book that sparked conversations surrounding the space race, religion, and the ultimate question of the universe. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Why this book was such a good satirical fit in the time that it was published.


• How Douglas Adams approached creation of the universe with this book. 


• Why the humor hasn’t quite held up as well 50 years later.

Open your book and press play on a podcast episode that will leave you searching for your mom to tell her you love her. 

Mentioned in the Pairings section of the podcast:

• DRINK: Final Gravity Brewery, Moon X


• TV SHOW - Space Force, Dragon Ball Z, For All Mankind


• BOOK - The Martian, Good Omens


• MOVIE - The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Spaceballs, Moon, Moonfall

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Once you're done listening, hop onto our Instagram and TikTok @rwreadspodcast to give us your thoughts on the discussion and the book. We look forward to hearing from you!

This week, we read Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

A book that tackles such tough subjects like race relations and taking children from their home is an important read in any case. But when you lose the deep sense of humanity by focusing too much on the logistics of a fake law in a fictional world, that’s when you lose us. 

Abby Williams, who’s heart is not missing, joins me today to talk about a book that didn’t really meet our expectations, but still had such beautiful writing that drew tears. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Why this book slightly missed the mark for us due to lack of character development


• Celeste Ng’s writing style still absolutely slays


• This book isn’t getting a lot of buzz, and there's a reason 

Open your book and press play on a podcast episode that will leave you searching for your mom to tell her you love her. 

Mentioned in the Pairings section of the podcast:

• DRINK: Stout, Blood orange cider - Tractor Brewing


• TV SHOW - 1883, The Last of Us, The Umbrella Academy 


• BOOK - Everything I Never Told You, The Institute, The Handmaid's Tale


• MOVIE - Fahrenheit 451, Everything Everywhere All at Once 

*** 

Once you're done listening, hop onto our Instagram and TikTok @rwreadspodcast to give us your thoughts on the discussion and the book. We look forward to hearing from you!

Here are our picks for April: 

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones -  a horror novel following a group of American Indians and their scarred pasts. 

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller -  a classic that follows one soldier’s journey to escape the war by proving insanity. 

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - an adventure in a universe far away where they have the answer to everything…too bad they don’t have the question.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh - a girl who decides to hibernate for a year and emerge a new woman. 

Which book are you most excited for? 

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Once you're done listening, hop onto our Instagram and TikTok @rwreadspodcast to give us your thoughts on the discussion and the book. We look forward to hearing from you! 

This week, we read Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

When a book perfectly combines Chinese mythology with a fantastical plot line and a beautiful cast of misfit characters, you’re going to have one hell of a book. This was just one of those books that you won’t want to put down and a book where you’ll be sad to finish it. It’s a world where the gods and goddesses live in the clouds above humans, monsters are fought with magical bows and innate powers. 

Sierra Marshall, who’s still on team Wenzhi after finishing this book, joins me to discuss how this was a fantasy novel that had us looking up at the moon and wondering what fantastical worlds await us up there. 

In this episode we cover: 

• How (almost) every character in this book was *chef’s kiss* perfect


• Why this book deserves to be on everyone’s TBR list 


• The magical world that Sue Lynn Tan created was way too beautiful and made leaving the world very, very hard. 

Open your book and press play on a podcast episode that will leave you wanting to pick up this book and feel like you did when you read your first real novel. Nostalgia and wonderment at its finest. 

Mentioned in the Pairings section of the podcast:

• DRINK: Veniq, Blue Moon Sour


• TV SHOW - Fruits Basket, Reign


• BOOK - Throne of Glass #5 (Empire of Storms), The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Circe


• MOVIE - Spirited Away, Raya and the Last Dragon, Wonder Woman

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Once you're done listening, hop onto our Instagram and TikTok @rwreadspodcast to give us your thoughts on the discussion and the book. We look forward to hearing from you! 

This week, we read Another Country by James Baldwin

A story about race, relationships, sex, careers, and finding your passions, this book is truly one of the greats. James Baldwin has made his mark in history as a superb writer and even better speaker, forming bonds with other historic greats like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. Another Country is one of those novels that hits you hard and gets you talking. 

Ella Kopeikin, the woman who knows French pronunciation better than myself, joins me today to talk about why this book deserves so much more recognition. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Why it’s important to read stories like this, even though the subject matter may be difficult (abuse and suicide)


• Why having a community of people to challenge your thinking creates rich individuals


• Why we aimed to have this release during Black History Month and ended up recording in Black History Month because we did not study math in college. 

Open your book and press play on a podcast episode that will challenge you, pull on your heart strings, and get you flying to the nearest bookstore to pick up your own copy. 

Mentioned in the Pairings section of the podcast:

• DRINK: I.W. Harper Bourbon

• TV SHOW - The Knick, Pose, The Last of Us Episode 3


• BOOK - Jazz, The Catcher in the Rye, The Mothers, Queenie


• MOVIE - I Am Not Your Negro/James Baldwin: The Price of A Ticket, Brooklyn, Rent

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Once you're done listening, hop onto our Instagram and TikTok @rwreadspodcast to give us your thoughts on the discussion and the book. We look forward to hearing from you!

This week, we read Stargazer by Laurie Petrou.

This book is about when friendship takes an obsessive turn. When two girls form a strong bond right before they go to the same college, it’s hard not to be jealous of what the other one has — famous designer’s daughter who hates the spotlight and a secluded, athletic artist who just wants to be noticed. But does the ending of this book fit the build-up? 

Rebekah Sausmikat, who seems to dislike all of the books she’s chosen so far, joins me to discuss another book which seems to have missed the mark.  

In this episode we cover: 

• Why Diana’s plot twist felt super predictable, yet not fulfilling


• The difficulty of writing about obsession without it being cheesy or stereotypical


• Why Aurelle’s mother was Bekah’s favorite character

Open your book and press play on a podcast episode that will leave you feeling like an oar to the side of the head might be a better option than finishing this book. 

Mentioned in the Pairings section of the podcast:

• DRINK: Jameson Irish Whiskey, Hippie Flip, fancy and very dirty martini 

• TV SHOW - Behind Her Eyes


• BOOK - Other People’s Clothes, Little Fires Everywhere, Verity


• MOVIE - The Roommate, A Simple Favor

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Once you're done listening, hop onto our Instagram and TikTok @rwreadspodcast to give us your thoughts on the discussion and the book. We look forward to hearing from you!

This month, we’re diving into the whimsical, the personal and the enchanting worlds of books this month. If you’re looking for books that challenge your societal thinking, then we have what you need. If you want a fantastical world that you can escape to, then stay tuned! And if you’re looking for a book that shows us the dark side of friendship, then this is the month for you. 

Here are our picks for March: 

Stargazer by Laurie Petrou - a thriller about a friendship that seems too good to be true. 

Another Country by James Baldwin - a classic that dissects relationships, race, and love in 1950s New York City.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan - a fantasy book that follows the hero’s journey of the daughter of the Moon Goddess. 

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng - a tale about missing children and one kid’s journey to find his own mother. 

Which book are you most excited for? 

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Once you're done listening, hop onto our Instagram and TikTok @rwreadspodcast to give us your thoughts on the discussion and the book. We look forward to hearing from you!