Ryan W. Garcia (Try Guys, Big Nate, Krapopolis) graciously allows me to record in the lovely studio for his podcast Big Theatre Kid Energy. We discuss leveling up, reading the signs of the universe, and protecting your voice when you're out there in the podcast mines.

Follow Ryan on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muchosgarcias/?hl=en

Follow Big Theatre Kid Energy: https://www.instagram.com/bigtheatrekidenergy/?hl=en

Watch my episode of BTKE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boLHSnQir5o&t=1914s

for the ad-free, extended version of this episode, sign up for the Shoulda Books Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks

books discussed below. these are affiliate links for bookshop.org. by purchasing books through these links, you support local bookstores, and I earn a (very small) commission.

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780593820254

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780062315007

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780142407332

join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw

This month, we're reading "Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781455563920

follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/

follow Shoulda Books on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks

follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en

Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg

Zachary Donohue is the co-writer of the horror film Passenger, in theaters now. He shares 3 books that shaped him and his career, even though none of them are technically horror books.

Check out the ad-free, extended episode–where we discuss Stephen King a bit more–over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks

Follow Zachary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donohuezach/

Go see Passenger, in theaters now

Watch The Unknowable (original series) on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z8rt8c-FsI

Watch The Unknowable: Darkland on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/The-Unknowable-Darkland/dp/B0G49WGNW5

books discussed below. these are affiliate links for bookshop.org. by purchasing books through these links, you support local bookstores, and I earn a (very small) commission.

"Sideways Stories from Wayside School" by Louis Sachar https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780380698714

"Replay" by Ken Grimwood https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780688161125

"Heavier Than Heaven" by Charles R. Cross https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780316492447

join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw

This month, we're reading "Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781455563920

follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/

follow Shoulda Books on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks

follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en

Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg

Khaled Hosseini's debut novel The Kite Runner has sold over 10 million copies since its publication in 2003. What made it achieve such a stratospheric level of popularity? Is the story just that good? Or is there something else at play?

Review by Harvey Thompson https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/03/kite-m25.html

for the ad-free version of this episode, sign up for the Shoulda Books Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks

books discussed below. these are affiliate links for bookshop.org. by purchasing books through these links, you support local bookstores, and I earn a (very small) commission.

"The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781594631931

"Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780679734505

"The Sympathizer" by Viet Than Nguyen https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780802124944

"Charlie Wilson's War" by George Crile III https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780802141248

join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw

This month, we're reading "Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781455563920

follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/

follow Shoulda Books on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks

follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en

Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg

Rainie Toll explains why "The Giver" and "The Catcher in the Rye" are more similar than you might think. We also talk about mushrooms, OCD, John Green, and why it's okay to not finish a book.

On the Patreon version of this episode, we talk about life since we both got laid off. Sign up today, or purchase the episode for $3, at https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks

books discussed below. these are affiliate links for bookshop.org. by purchasing books through these links, you support local bookstores, and I earn a (very small) commission.

"Fantastic Fungi Community Cookbook" by Eugenia Bone https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781647222956

"The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780316769488

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780544336261

"Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780525555377

"CivilWarLand in Bad Decline" by George Saunders https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780812987683

join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw

This month, we're reading "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781594631931

follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/

follow Shoulda Books on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks

follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en

Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg

Jimmy Wong (Game Knights, the Command Zone, Try Guys, Video Game High School) shares the 3 books he thinks you should read. We end up discussing how he surprised himself with his own paternal instincts, won a jet ski on the Price Is Right, redefines God as he gets older, and much more.

follow Jimmy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jfwong/?hl=en

check out Game Knights: https://www.youtube.com/@commandcast

for the ad-free, extended version of this episode, sign up for the Shoulda Books Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks

books discussed below. these are affiliate links for bookshop.org. by purchasing books through these links, you support local bookstores, and I earn a (very small) commission.

Conversations with God by Neal Donald Walsch https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780399142789

Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender by David R. Hawkins https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781401945015

Exhalation by Ted Chiang https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781101972083

Tenth of December by George Saunders https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780812984255

join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw

This month, we're reading "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781594631931

follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/

follow Shoulda Books on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks

follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en

Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg

Enjoy this bonus episode from the Shoulda Books Patreon. Every month, we compare a film to the book it was adapted from. Sign up today to unlock more episodes like this.

My grandmother passed away this past weekend, so I've been taking a step back this week to focus on spending time with my family. I'll be back next week with a classic episode. Thank you very much for all of the kind wishes, everyone. It means a lot :)

sign up for the Shoulda Books Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks

join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw

This month, we're reading "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/

follow Shoulda Books on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks

follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en

Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg

Annie Rauwerda, the mind behind one of my favorite Instagram accounts (Depths of Wikipedia, go check it out) joins me to share way more than 3 books you should also check out. We talk Robert Moses, literary gossip from the 1920s, cartoons, the internet, and the recent passing of a bottle of amaro.

for the ad-free, extended version of this episode, sign up for the Shoulda Books Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks

follow Annie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annierau/

follow Depths of Wikipedia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/depthsofwikipedia/

Annie's live show in LA on May 9th, 2026: https://hollywoodforever.com/event/depths-of-wikipedia/

books discussed below. these are affiliate links for bookshop.org. by purchasing books through these links, you support local bookstores, and I earn a (very small) commission.

"Complete Poems" by Dorothy Parker https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780143106081

"The Power Broker" by Robert Caro https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780394720241

"Working" by Robert Caro https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780593081914

"Word by Word: the Secret Life of Dictionaries" by Kory Stamper https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781101970263

"Gulp" by Mary Roach https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781324036067

"In the Beginning Was the Command Line" by Neal Stephenson https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780380815937

"The New Yorker Encyclopedia of Cartoons" https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780316484770

"City of Quartz" by Mike Davis https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781786635891

join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw

This month, we're reading "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781594631931

follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/

follow Shoulda Books on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks

follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en

Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg

I unpack Kazuo Ishiguro's 2005 classic "Never Let Me Go".

I dive into some of the questions that philosophers have asked for millennia, vent some of my frustrations with the characters, and take a peek at a very specific branch of science you don't hear much about today.

sign up for the Shoulda Books Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks

join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw

this month, we read "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781400078776

next month, we're reading "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781594631931

the links above are affiliate links for bookshop.org. by purchasing books through these links, you support local bookstores, and I earn a (very small) commission.

the article I mentioned in the episode: https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Cloning-Fact-Sheet

follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/

follow Shoulda Books on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks

follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en

Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg

Stephen LaConte is the managing editor of Clickhole and the author of the advice column Stephen, Please. He's also the boyfriend of hyper-realistic cake creator Jonny Cakes, who refers to him (respectfully) as Cake Twink. Stephen shares 2 memoirs and a play that will make you laugh, cry, and question whether children should ever be actors.

sign up for Stephen's advice column: https://stephen.substack.com/

follow Stephen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephenlc/

for the ad-free, extended version of this episode, sign up for the Shoulda Books Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks

books discussed below. these are affiliate links for bookshop.org. by purchasing books through these links, you support local bookstores, and I earn a (very small) commission.

Bossypants by Tina Fey https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780316056878

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781982185831

Our Town by Thornton Wilder https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780063003996

join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw

this month, we're reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781400078776

follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/

follow Shoulda Books on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks

follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en

Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg

Sam Bakas (editor, The Try Guys) returns to discuss 3 books that helped him find meaning in a cold, indifferent universe.

follow Sam on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShmoopy

follow Sam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshmoopy/

for the ad-free, extended version of this episode, sign up for the Shoulda Books Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks

books discussed below. these are affiliate links for bookshop.org. by purchasing books through these links, you support local bookstores, and I earn a (very small) commission.

"The House of the Spirits" by Isabell Allende https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781501117015

"The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781594631931

"Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780553375404

"When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalinithi https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780812988406

"Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781631495311

"Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781400078776

join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw

follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/

follow Shoulda Books on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks

follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en

Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg