Best Book Rant Podcasts (2024)

1
Ep: 4 Kamala Harris, Billionaires and the Broken System 23:28

26d ago23:28

23:28

In this episode, I dig into The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris and start questioning if our economy today is just a high-tech version of the Gilded Age. Are billionaires like Bezos, Musk, and Zuckerberg the modern-day Rockefellers? I explore how corporate greed, income inequality, and stagnant wages are driving us to rethink the system.…

1
Ep: 3 - How JD Vance Sold Out His Own People 25:49

2M ago25:49

25:49

In this episode, I dive into JD Vance's memoir 'Hillbilly Elegy' and unpack its portrayal of working-class white America, especially in the Rust Belt. While Vance shares a deeply personal story of overcoming poverty, he aligns with the Republican narrative of individual responsibility and criticizes welfare dependency. I rant about how his success …

1
Ep: 2 - Deception at the Helm: Operation Northwoods and the Cuban Crisis 45:33

5M ago45:33

45:33

Can a war be justified by deceit? Imagine a world where strategy games like Crusader Kings provide a unique lens into political machinations and ethical dilemmas. This episode takes a chilling turn as we dissect Operation Northwoods, a plan proposed by General Lyman Lemnitzer to President John F. Kennedy to fabricate reasons to go to war with Cuba.…

1
EP: 1 - Black Against Empire: The Panthers Fight Against Capitalism 40:49

6M ago40:49

40:49

Join me, Kevin, on the debut episode of Kev's Book Rant as I dive into the powerful story of the Black Panther Party. In this episode, I'll explore the Panthers' fight against racial injustice and their bold challenge to the capitalist system. Through the lens of "Black Against Empire" by Joshua Bloom and Waldo Martin Jr., I'll discuss the Panthers…

1
Year in Books: 2023 45:41

10M ago45:41

45:41

We've resurfaced! Even though we haven't exactly been super busy reading behind the scenes, we figured we'd bring everyone back to speed with a recap of what we've been reading and doing for the past year. Our favourite reads, most surprising books of 2023, DNFs, reading goals for 2024... you know the drill. Also, if anyone asks what we got each ot…

1
Are We Back? 55:43

2+ y ago55:43

55:43

So, uh, it's been a while. We figured we should release something to let you know where we've been and what we've been reading. And to give some life updates and let you know where this podcast is going. We're not officially back from our hiatus (although we never really announced that we were on a hiatus... so were we ever officially on one?). But…

1
Chill & Travel Light 50:53

3y ago50:53

50:53

Listen, I think we just needed to have a chill episode. So, here it is. A chill episode. Vee talks about an old favourite, Travel Light by Naomi Mitchison, and thinks about how books change over time and reveal new secrets with age. Jess discusses the importance and heartbreaking reality of This Place: 150 Years Retold, a graphic novel exploring th…

1
I Read Ice Planet Barbarians and It's Worse Than You Think 55:02

3+ y ago55:02

55:02

cw: rape In this month's role reversal, Jess reads a book of essays and Vee reads (really awful) alien smut! Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino is highly recommended book of personal essays exploring the ways that capitalism has ruined everything. Guest appearance by Foucault. Ice Planet Barbarians: A Scifi Alien Romance by Ruby Dixon (not her real name…

1
I Like to Beautifully Read 1:07:26

3+ y ago1:07:26

1:07:26

Sometimes you just need to get up at 5AM and beautifully read, ya know? Vee recounts her experiences reading This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, a wonderfully crafted sapphic romance about post-human time travelling agents... need I say more? And Jess gushes about the book that actually broke her reading slump: Be…

1
Jess & Vee (Incoherently) Discuss: Piranesi 42:53

3+ y ago42:53

42:53

It was bound to happen. Jess is finally out of her reading slump and dove straight into Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - which of course meant that we needed to sit down with some drinks and a pipe and chat about what we thought about this book. We by no means covered even half of the theories or ideas that this book brings up, so if you have anything …

1
Fantastic Histories And How (Not) To Write Them 1:04:35

3+ y ago1:04:35

1:04:35

In case anyone is wondering: no, Jess didn’t get her reading chair back. The saga continues. I’m personally even wondering if the chair ever existed. Or maybe it was adopted and is now living a totally different life with another family. Maybe in Italy. I hope it’s happy. Jess reads Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco, a witchy enemies-to-lov…

1
Jess & Vee (Incoherently) Discuss: Book Adaptations 36:17

3+ y ago36:17

36:17

Are book to movie/tv/theatre/videogame adaptations ever good? We start to answer this question in our latest minisode... and then get sidetracked by talking about which adaptations we've liked and disliked. Important stuff, you know. We're not (fully) sober in this episode, so if you're not comfortable with that, no problem. You can skip this one. …

1
Can We Just Read, Please 54:17

3+ y ago54:17

54:17

Day 829 of our reading slump. Things are looking bleak. The books on the shelves don't vibe with us. Our library books are being returned without ever having been read. We barely know how to read anymore. Do we just hold the books in our hands? Or is there another step? We can't remember. Please, send help. (Also, Vee reads Piranesi by Susanna Clar…

1
When Opposites Attract 1:08:26

3+ y ago1:08:26

1:08:26

(well, when opposites get compared) Tag along another unhinged episode of emotionally charged ranting! It’s great, though. Don’t be scared. Jess reads/rants about Sarah J. Maas’ latest book in her A Court of Thorns and Roses series, A Court of Silver Flames (ACOTAR #4? 5? ACOSF #1?), which follows the coerced romance of Nesta and Cassian. It’s weir…

1
Welcome to Black Future Month 1:11:26

3+ y ago1:11:26

1:11:26

Happy Black History Month! And also Black Future Month! Vee reads the incomparable genius N.K. Jemisin with her book of short stories, How Long 'Til Black Future Month, and Jess reads the magical and relevant The Midnight Bargain by Canadian author C.L. Polk. We talk about SJM controversy, reading vibes, and generally struggle. Like, it's February.…

1
Like Nothing We've Ever Read Before 1:09:30

4y ago1:09:30

1:09:30

Jess and Vee both read books like nothing they've read before, even though Vee has already said that about the same author and - well, Jess is probably right. She often is. Jess reads The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab, a beautifully written story about a woman from the 18th century who makes a deal with night to live forever - but w…

1
Year in Books: 2020 (An Ode to the Library) 1:02:56

4y ago1:02:56

1:02:56

It's that time of year again... when your brain is mush from all the reading you've been trying to stuff into the last few days of the year, because you haven't quite come to terms with the fact that you won't reach your reading goal for this year and that good habit you tried to pick up last, oh, what, a month or two, and you're too ashamed to eve…

1
Memory Lapses & Pronunciation Problems 1:04:05

4y ago1:04:05

1:04:05

'Tis December, which means it's time to rant about our Book Box books! (If that makes no sense to you, listen to the last episode - or, at least, the last ten minutes of it) Well, rant may be a strong word, because we loved both of our books. Vee reads (most of, sorry!) Circe by Madeline Miller, a retelling of the goddess Circe's story that upheave…

1
Vampires do Sexy Science 1:11:14

4y ago1:11:14

1:11:14

It's... our November episode! In December! Because reasons! We hope that our sporadic upload schedule (sorry about that) is made up for (we hope) with two amazing books - and our Christmas Book Box unboxing! If you have no idea what our Christmas Book Box is, well, listen to the episode and you'll find out. Easy peasy. Jess binges and gushes about …

1
Of course this is our Halloween episode... 1:11:13

4y ago1:11:13

1:11:13

In this episode, Vee rationalises that she's reading a spooky Halloween book because all fantasy, if you think about it, is an exploration of the Other. Right? And what is Halloween but a showcase of those things that we avoid and reject and therefore become afraid of? Am I convincing anyone? Probably not. A Dreamer's Tales by Lord Dunsany (Edward …

1
Jess & Vee (Incoherently) Discuss: A Court of Thorns and Roses 46:32

4y ago46:32

46:32

So, this happened. Back in episode 8, Jess read A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, the second (and most popular) book in her A Court of Thorn of Roses series. She specifically did not recommend the book to Vee and told her that she wouldn’t like it. But then Vee went ahead and read the series, because torturing herself by reading books she …

1
A Love Letter to Stephenie Meyer 1:06:07

4y ago1:06:07

1:06:07

In our most incoherent, tangental, sleep deprived, and overall nonsensical episode yet, we delve into two very different YA books and how they impact the way we read. Jess rants about the trash fire that is Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer, which recounts the events of the first Twilight book from the perspective of Edward Cullen who, let's he hones…

1
Stay Sexy and Read Books 1:07:21

4y ago1:07:21

1:07:21

Do you ever have that thing happen where you pick up a book and it's just what you wanted to read at that exact moment? Yeah. That's what happened when Vee read A Sense of the Mysterious by Alan Lightman, a wholeheartedly human book about the artful balance between science and the practice of it. Jess talks about (via audiobook, because AUDIOBOOKS …

1
This Episode is Cursed 1:12:20

4+ y ago1:12:20

1:12:20

The universe may have attempted to stop us from getting this episode to you, but we did it. Might be a week late, but here you have it, anyways. Maybe we were cursed by the same witches who tried to hex the moon? Anyways. Jess gushes about the historical mystery with a soupçon of thriller energy that is Kate Morton's The Lake House. Elements of Ato…

1
Learning to be Anti-Racist 1:07:23

4+ y ago1:07:23

1:07:23

As two white people living in Canada, we have a lot to (un)learn in regards to racism. About our history, about how we are complicit in white supremacy, about how to help - and even about how to (un)learn without centring ourselves or our whiteness. And because of the wealth of information offered in books about Black Lives Matter and why this move…

1
Chickens Are So Weird 1:07:34

4+ y ago1:07:34

1:07:34

Because we value bringing you a diverse selection of books, we present to you nothing less than a YA fantasy and a chicken how-to guide. Jess reads Sky In The Deep by Adrienne Young, a YA fantasy about family and, well, common enemies, marinaded in a flavourful dose of all things viking. Vee reads CHICKENS IN YOUR BACKYARD: A Beginner's Guide by Ga…

1
The Conversation Resumes 1:14:56

4+ y ago1:14:56

1:14:56

Vee breaks in her first audiobook experience with a book that she’s been reading out loud for years, anyways: The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, narrated by Rob Inglis. And Jess breaks into something other than a book…: the newly released essay by Caroline Calloway, “I Am Caroline Calloway.” Yes, it’s dramatic and kind of a dumpster fire of a scene, bu…

1
It's Not You, It's Me 59:01

4+ y ago59:01

59:01

In a strange turn of events (that we are blaming entirely on this being episode number thirteen), neither Jess or Vee finished the books they wanted to read for this episode - but by no fault of the books themselves. Jess read half of Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch (and plans to finish it soon - no DNFs here), and Vee almost finished Winter by Al…

1
Not A Roast, But A Slow Braise 1:04:35

4+ y ago1:04:35

1:04:35

Vee finally releases the hold that The Glass Sentence (by S.E. Grove) has had on her mind for nearly a year and finishes a DNF! Who would have even thought that possible. Middle grade books are just not her thing, despite the time-bending narrative and wonderful world building that this book has to offer. And Jess talks about not just one, but two …

1
What Fantasy Should Be 51:44

4+ y ago51:44

51:44

In this episode, Jess and Vee celebrate two talented black authors for Black History Month! Jess talks about Pride by Ibi Zoboi, a modern black and latinx retelling of one of her favourite books, Pride & Prejudice. Of note: Jess listened to the Pride audiobook, narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo! Vee gushes over the power that is Marlon James' Black Leo…

1
Toss a Coin to Your Badass 1:02:01

4+ y ago1:02:01

1:02:01

Vee talks about the adorable and emotionally bewildered phenomenon that is Geralt of Rivia in The Last Wish (The Witcher #0.5) by Andrzej Sapkowski, and finds surprising parallels to our modern climate - despite it having been published nearly 30 years ago! And Jess raves about the teenage perspective of rape, assault, and justice in The Female of …

1
The Naomi Novik Polish Pierogi Special 1:00:48

5y ago1:00:48

1:00:48

Fresh from the front lines of the Polish Appreciation Club, we bring you our Naomi Novik and Witcher extravaganza episode, in which we talk about how amazing the new Witcher show is and share our love (and criticism) about two of Naomi Novik's bestsellers. Jess reads Spinning Silver, Novik's most recent standalone novel about a young moneylender wh…

1
Why We Read 1:07:09

5y ago1:07:09

1:07:09

Welcome to our most off the wall, uninhibited, nonsensical and rant-fuelled episode yet. I mean, we’ve gotta live up to the “Rant” in our name somehow, right? Vee breaks in the new year with the worst book she’s ever had the joy of reading, Three Princes by Ramona Pierce, and Jess gushes about her favourite faerie smut, A Court of Mist and Fury (A …

1
Year in Books: 2019 55:15

5y ago55:15

55:15

Surprise!By Book Rant

1
An Education in Mayan Mythology 1:01:29

5y ago1:01:29

1:01:29

This episode, we talk about the books that we gifted each other for our annual Christmas book exchange. Jess reads Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, a fantastical tale of Mayan myth and love in the backdrop of early 20th century Mexico. And Vee reads Educated by Tara Westover, a memoir that untangles the deep-rooted threads of brainw…

1
Queen of Hype 1:00:33

5y ago1:00:33

1:00:33

Vee reads The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, a regionally-inspired story set in the Alaskan wilderness of the 1920s and fashioned after the fairy tale The Snow Maiden. Then Jess jumps on and then swiftly off the hype train that is Holly Black’s newest novel, The Queen of Nothing, the last book in The Folk of the Air trilogy about the wicked drama of Fae…

1
Uncategorizable Myth 55:30

5y ago55:30

55:30

Episode 4! We’ve come so far. Jess relishes the treasure that is The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones at a time when this story is most needed, and Vee struggles to find words even remotely adequate enough to describe the wild force that is Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq. We talk about stories slipping in and through myth and the understanding that sto…

1
Spreeding Bumps 1:00:56

5y ago1:00:56

1:00:56

In this week’s episode we talk about speed bumps in our reading (aptly and awkwardly named spreeding bumps), Vee accepts a Contact challenge, and Jess breaks her book buying ban. Also of note: the need for good male role models, ~mood books~, not-quite-fantasy books, Monday meltdowns, The Four Doorways, and our very first fan mail! Vee reviews La B…

1
Third Book Curse 1:02:10

5y ago1:02:10

1:02:10

In this week’s episode, we delve into the finales of two vastly different fantasy series. Jess talks about Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake (Three Dark Crowns #4), a YA fantasy quartet about sister queens fighting to the death for their crown, amid the tatters of unravelling allegiances and lore. Vee fawns over The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin (The Br…

1
My Favouritest Book(s) 1:07:31

5y ago1:07:31

1:07:31

Our Favouritest Book(s) Welcome to our podcast where we rant about books. In this very first episode we talk about our favourite books - the ones that brought us to where we are today, the ones that we’ll never shake loose. Vee discovers she’s a witch and Jess confesses her childhood truths. A lot of giggling, a generous serving of awko taco, and a…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Book Rant Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide