The Dust Jacket

This week we're talking about Obama's summer reading list pick, Kin, by Tayari Jones. It's a sprawling book about motherhood, daughterhood, and friendship. But did we like it as much as Barack? 

Spoilers from 36 mins

We have a special guest this week, Alice, who helps us talk about Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark, a speculative novella about a Black woman with a magic sword killing "Ku Kluxes" in the Jim Crow south. It's a wild ride. 

Spoilers from 19 mins

This week we discuss poems about dogs and Kevin Wilson's Run for the Hills. Sorry to our friends who liked this one 😬

Spoilers from 20 mins

Bailey's back to help us talk about Gone Girl. It's become one of the most influential domestic thrillers since its publication 14 years ago. But how does it hold up now?

Spoilers from 9 mins

This week we discuss the 2025 epistolary novel The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans. We talk about its charm, its quiet but still propulsive plot, and why we think it's become so popular.

Spoilers from 25 mins

This week we're talking about Xochitl Gonzalez's popular 2022 debut novel Olga Dies Dreaming. It has a lot of interesting ideas and some really good writing, but ultimately these little pieces didn't add up for either of us. 

Spoilers from 23 mins

Trigger warning: non-graphic mention of SA

This week we're talking about the latest David Sedaris collection, which has good and bad moments. We discuss how he's grown bitter and boomerish, and our favorite stories from his career. 

No spoilers!

Second-time guest Sonya joins us to talk about Nothing Tastes As Good, in which an experimental weight loss drug drives a man to cannibalism. It's a wild ride, not always in a good way. 

Spoilers from 36 mins

This week, we discuss the smash hit Yesteryear--what makes it so compelling to so many people but also its significant weaknesses. 

Spoilers from 31 mins