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.

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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.

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To Subscribe: Personal Canon by Celine Nguyen

To Witch: Llewellyn's 2026 Witches' Calendar

To Watch: Sean Combs, The Reckoning

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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.

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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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Announcing Our January 2026 Book: The Sellout by Paul Beatty!

In this episode, Tava, Brett, and Alex work together to create the definitive ranking of TNBC's book club books. They also reveal the best books they read this year outside of the book club, and talk about what they have planned for season 2!

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In their final book club episode of 2025, Tava, Brett, and Alex discuss The White Hot, by Quiara Alegría Hudes. For the first time in a while, the book elicits some different opinions, leading to an interesting and at times heated discussion about motherhood, abandonment, and what we expect out of realistic fiction. Tune in next week to hear the team rank this year's book club books and to learn what their theme will be for 2026!

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To See: A Total Eclipse

To Watch: Four Christmases

To Buy: Keychron V6 Keyboard

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Like any good holiday party, this one gets weird. What began as an innocent idea - cook a dish inspired by a book or story - devolves into a conversation about Stranger Things, grocery stores, couches, and AI.

In case you missed it because we barely mentioned it, Brett brought cucumber sandwiches (Alice in Wonderland), Tava brought Pasta Puttanesca (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Alex brought Knickerbocker Glory (Harry Potter) and Jeremy made a Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Tune in next week for our conversation about The White Hot, by Quiara Alegría Hudes!

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ORDER OUR DECEMBER BOOK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠The White Hot, by Quiara-Alegra Hudes⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, Tava, Brett, and Alex submit to capitalism's gravitational pull. They each recommend five book-adjacent gifts, ensuring there is something for everyone - bookworms, booklovers, the book-curious, and the poor souls that are on the hunt for these bookophiles.

Tava's Recommendations:

1. A custom book stamp, embosser, or sticker.

2. A Comfy

3. Wooden Bookshop

4. A gift card to a local bookstore/coffee shop

5. Female Literary Greats Cocktail Book

Alex's Recommendations

1. A Nook

2. A Book Vase

3. Bookends

4. Book Cover Print

5. Penguin Clothbound Classic

Brett's Recommendations

1. Custom Leather Bookmark

2. Neck Book Light

3. Bibliophile Coffee Table Book

4. Tea Pot

5. MOMA Author Clock

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ORDER OUR DECEMBER BOOK: ⁠⁠The White Hot, by Quiara-Alegra Hudes⁠⁠

To help unravel the secrets of The Big Apple, Tava, Brett, and Alex flew in someone who knows a thing or two about art, culture, the gay scene, and sweat. In this episode, Sam Whitney regretfully informs the gang that Brandon Taylor was pretty accurate in his depiction of NYC in November's book, Minor Black Figures. He patiently explains what it is like to live in America's biggest and most important city, compares it to his time in San Francisco, and doesn't get upset when Alex says she hates his adopted home.

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To Cook: Celery, cream cheese, and olives

To Read: Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett

To Do: Go to the movies!

To Cook: Jalapeño, cream cheese, and cranberry dip

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ORDER OUR DECEMBER BOOK: The White Hot, by Quiara-Alegra Hudes

As the weather gets colder, Tava, Brett, and Alex look to a sweaty New York City summer romance to keep warm. Minor Black Figures, a tale that focuses on art and artists, isn't always what the crew wants it to be, but as usual they have plenty to talk about and some strong opinions about the characters, the writer's choices, and the ending.

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To Use: Beef Tallow

To Visit: The Montague Bookmill

To Read: Sarah Jessica Parker's Year of Judging the Booker Prize (New York Times)

To Watch: Frankenstein

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Finish reading Minor Black Figures for our Book Club Episode next week!

This week, the claws come out as Tava, Brett, and Alex try to one-up each other during book trivia (supplied by Kat Zahariadis). To up the ante, they even bring in a guest host, Brett's sister-in-law Nina! Before failing to answer thirteen different questions about Charlotte's Web, the gang also discusses honeymoons, New York City, Mamma Mia, Alex's propensity for collecting her friend's locations, Brett's road trip, and The German Game.

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To Watch: Setting Sunset/Selling the OC

To Listen: West End Girl, by Lily Allen

To Visit: St. Lucia!

To Listen: Scott Galloway on On with Kara Swisher

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