Required Reading

By Erin Bowles

Required Reading revisits the most impactful books from our childhood with a new guest every week.

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4.6

99 ratings

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FAQs about Required Reading:

How many episodes does Required Reading have?

The podcast currently has 120 episodes available.

Required Reading episodes:

April 16, 2026 Vampire Academy 2: Frostbite with Liz Wiest
It's winter break at the Vampire Academy and Liz Wiest and I are sinking our TEETH into the sequel Frostbite. From Richelle Mead and the pivotal year of 2008, Frostbite follows the increasingly treacherous world of St Vladimir's Academy and the broader Pacific Northwest as royal vampire families are being eliminated by the bad guy vampires.
Listen to our episode on book one!
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I'm not going to include our buymeacoffee link because YouTube seemed to throw a fit this week about the link on our Lord of the Flies episode from almost a year ago? Absolutely no clue why but I don't think anyone reads the episode notes, let me know!
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57min
April 08, 2026 Carrie with Kate Hagen!
Kate Hagen (SVP, The Black List) joins me to discuss Stephen King's classic novel of teen girl rage: CARRIE!
High school outcast Carrie gets her period for the first time, and also telekineses. It ends poorly.
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Listen to Kate talk BABY BOOM on Ticklish Business!
Check out our previous Stephen King episode: Misery with Enor Bishop!
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1h 13min
March 26, 2026 Malice with Lev Francesca
It's Slenderman...before Slenderman...This week writer Lev Francesca AKA Lisco2000 joins me to discuss a book no one has ever heard of (probably) Malice by Chris Wooding - a novel combining graphic novel and prose and miscellaneous documents to tell the story of a graphic novel that's really pulling kids in.
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1h 1min
March 18, 2026 The Count of Monte Cristo with Tocarra Elise!
This week comedian Tocarra Elise joins me to discuss her favorite revenge classic: THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas!
After 14 years of wrongful imprisonment, sailor Edmond Dantes transforms himself into the Count of Monte Cristo in order to exact revenge on those who imprisoned him.
Follow Tocarra's Library and check out her work on the Getty kid's podcast If Objects Could Talk!
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1h 18min
March 04, 2026 The Witch of Blackbird Pond with Courtney Young!
What is a witch if not a woman by a pond?
This week Courtney Young joins me to revisit everyone's favorite book from 4th grade: THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND!
In colonial America, Kit Tyler leaves Barbados to come to her aunt's family in Connecticut but finds herself quickly under suspicion by the Puritanical community. A girl who's a little bit different? Must be a WITCH!!
Check out Courtney's work!
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1h 9min
February 25, 2026 The Martian Chronicles with Mel Thomas!
Can you believe it took this long to get to Ray Bradbury? Better late than never as this week incredible video essayist and writer Mel Thomas joins me to discuss THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES - a science fiction novel-in-short-stories about human colonization of Mars.
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1h 2min
February 19, 2026 Jane Eyre with Madeline North!
We're back! Erin got laid off and then went on vacation, but now we're back! We as in the royal we.
Madeline North also returns to discuss Charlotte Bronte's 1847 classic: JANE EYRE. And we also talk a lot about Wuthering Heights. It can't be helped!
Jane Eyre follows orphan Jane from ages 10-20 as she escapes a cruel home to go to an even crueler boarding school, then becomes a governess, falls in love, almost gets married, finds out her employer/fiance's been keeping a secret wife in the attic, gets the heck outta there, joins a family, finds out they're her real family, gets a lot of money, goes back to the employer and makes him a husband. And that's what you missed on Glee!
In this episode we discuss my video essay about the book (ooooooo) and this video essay about some common Charlotte Bronte misconceptions!
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Listen to her previous episodes on Eragon and The Princess Bride!
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1h 25min
January 08, 2026 Vampire Academy with Liz Wiest
Welcome to 2026 and welcome to the VAMPIRE ACADEMY where we are horny, confused, and Catholic. Writer Liz Wiest joins me to discuss Richelle Mead's 2007 novel.
The plot is complex but it's girls at an academy for vampires. You get the gist.
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59min
December 17, 2025 EPISODE 100: MEASURE FOR MEASURE WITH CARLY O'BRIEN!
Folks, it's episode 100. Professor Carly O'Brien returns for her fourth episode (first time a guest has made it to four episodes, a historic one indeed) to cover a play that fundamentally shaped who I am as an artist and as a lil freak.
Measure for Measure is known as one of Shakespeare's three problem plays. It follows a Duke, a nun, and, well,.,, just listen.
This is the last episode of 2025! See you next year!
Cover art is James McMullen's poster for Lincoln Center.
Check out Carly's previous episodes about A Christmas Carol and Johnny Tremain and Where the Red Fern Grows!
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1h 32min
December 10, 2025 Frozen in Time with Justina Engel
Favorite person alert: Justina Engel returns to discuss Ali Sparkes' 2009 sci-fi novel FROZEN IN TIME.
During summer vacation siblings Ben and Rachel dig up a bomb shelter in their backyard. Inside the bomb shelter are their great aunt and uncle, cryogenically frozen (and there's a puppy there too). Family mysteries, government conspiracies, and international intrigue come to light - and fingernails fall off!
Check out Justina's previous episode! It's the American Girl Doll episode!
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1h

FAQs about Required Reading:

How many episodes does Required Reading have?

The podcast currently has 120 episodes available.

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