March 2026 Book: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante!

Nostalgia Alert! This episode features Arthur, Junie B. Jones, Jan Brett, American Girl Dolls, the Dear America series, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, and more! Brett and Alex also team up to prank Tava, Alex reports about getting a new phone, and Brett and Tava get a new fridge.

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To Listen: The Galaxy S26 is a Photography Nightmare, The Vergecast

To Download: Apple Music

To Read: Tethered Literary Magazine

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Order our March book: My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante!

This week, Tava, Brett, and Alex turn back the clock to discuss one of their favorite children's series, The Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne. Along the way, Alex provides an update on her carbon monoxide exposure, Tava and Brett join in on the appliance woes, and Brett discusses his recent trip to Texas.

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To Watch: Ozark

To Watch: Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die

To Watch: Love on the Spectrum

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Intro Music: evandean.wav by madmerv -- https://freesound.org/s/690635/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Order our March Book, My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante!

Despite Brett's best efforts, this episode seems to be about everything but books. Tune in for an extended conversation about our Food Correspondent's health issues, bookmarks, toilet behavior, and being scared while reading.

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Announcing our March book, My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante!

In this episode, Tava, Brett, and Alex discuss their February book, Atonement, by Ian McEwan. But first, Alex provides an update on her pellet stove woes (and her months-long illness), Brett gets stuck in a parking garage, and Tava has some dog troubles.

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One week until we discuss Atonement, our February Book!

Fine, we'll admit it. We don't read all the time. In this episode, Tava, Brett, and Alex discuss the times when the books just aren't hitting. They start by ranking where books fall in the wide wide world on content, discuss the impact that seasons and major life events can have, and end by reporting how they each are feeling during the long days of winter.

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To Watch: Yellowjackets

To Listen: Grunge! (Ex: In Utero, by Nirvana)

To Listen: By the Way, I Forgive You, by Brandi Carlile

Last Chance to Order Atonement, our February Book!

Tava, Brett, and Alex do their best to talk about books in the age of social media, but they end up mostly discussing celebrity memoirs. trad wives, and the modern-day Pompeii.

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To Listen: Short King, by Alex Cameron

To Watch: Lawless

To Watch: Idiocracy

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Intro Music: evandean.wav by madmerv -- https://freesound.org/s/690635/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Check out our February 2026 Book, Atonement by Ian McEwan.

As one might expect, this episode was a bit all over the place, and only tangentially about books. Enjoy!

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To Puzzle Angrily: The New York Puzzle Company

To Drink: Dunkin' Protein Refresher

To Do: Workout!

To Drink: Coconut Water

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Intro Music: evandean.wav by madmerv -- https://freesound.org/s/690635/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Announcing our February 2026 Book: Atonement, by Ian McEwan!

In this episode ,Tava, Brett, and Alex tackle their first book of 2026, The Sellout by Paul Beatty. In addition to a discussion about racism in America, the group also talks about their recent trips to the movie theater, Brett and Tava's expedition to Bennington, and Alex's love of hotels.

Check Out:

To Read: The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy

To Read: Tell Me Lies, by Carola Lovering

To Do: Go to the movies!

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Tune in next week for our episode on The Sellout, by Paul Beatty.

In this episode, the TNBC crew names names. Tava, Brett, and Alex work through some of the worst moments in their book lives - lending out books and not getting them back, borrowing books and ruining the copy, and dividing up books at the end of a relationship. Tune in also for Alex's many accents, Brett & Tava's laundry squabble, and a Christmas decoration tragedy.

Check Out:

To Subscribe: Personal Canon by Celine Nguyen

To Witch: Llewellyn's 2026 Witches' Calendar

To Watch: Sean Combs, The Reckoning

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Intro Music: evandean.wav by madmerv -- https://freesound.org/s/690635/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

January's Book Club Book: The Sellout, by Paul Beatty

In this episode, Tava, Brett, and Alex do a deep dive into one of their favorite books, The Secret History, by Donna Tartt. Careful to avoid spoilers, the crew talks about how the book was written, the sensation is caused, and the woman who launched herself into literary stardom.

Check Out:

To Buy: New York Times 2026 Cooking Calendar

To Embrace: Winter! (What Scandinavians Can Teach Us About Embracing Winter)

To Watch: Eternity

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Intro Music: evandean.wav by madmerv -- https://freesound.org/s/690635/ -- License: Attribution 4.0