Let's get ready to RUMBBBLLLEEEEE! Hang on to your seats, friends, as we dive into Abraham Josephine Riesman's fantastic book, Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America, all about the world of professional wrestling and the man who formed WWE into what it is today. Pop culture pairings: The Wrestler (Amazon Prime), The Iron Claw (Hulu, …

We are back! This time with another fabulous art read: Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles, by Beth Pickens. In this episode, we talk all about the barriers that block artists' practices and the strategies they can rely on to return to their art over and over again.By Mollie Fox & Kate Kiriakou

Buckle up, everyone, for a shocking tale about one of the worst families in American history! Kate tells Mollie about the book Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe, a riveting exploration of the Sackler family's ascent to power and their role in the opioid crisis. This impeccably researched book is an in…

Wow, that woman's teeth are white.. what was I doing? Oh, right! Welcome to our first episode of 2024, where we tackle Sara Petersen's Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture. Join us for a discussion of parenthood in the age of Instagram, influencers, and cruel optimism.…

It was nice knowing ya, 2023! Pop some champagne and start 2024 off right with Mollie and Kate as they share recommendations for enchanting and compelling winter reads. Recommendations in order: Mollie: The Heatwave by Kate Riordan Kate: Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller Kate: The Adventures of Amina Al-Sarafi by Shannon Chakraborty Mollie: Tamora Pie…

Halloween may be over but we're still in spooky season mode, which gives us free reign to talk about monsters (albeit the less fun kind, because these are real). This episode, Kate recounts Claire Dederer's Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma, which wrestles with the question: What do we do with the art of monstrous artists? You won't want to miss this conve…

Autumn is here, and what better way to celebrate than by curling up with a good book about how to write a good book? Join us this week as Mollie tells Kate all about Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. They talk about the creative process, how hard it is to start from a blank page, and how to cope with jealousy in cr…

It only seems right to end the summer with a blockbuster—and what's a more perfect blockbuster than a memoir by one of the most famous people on Earth? Join us this month as Kate tells Mollie about former First Lady Michelle Obama's bestselling book Becoming. Pop Culture Pairing: The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama…

A penny for our thoughts? We'll give them to you for free! (We're just that generous.) And this month we're thinking about Financial Feminist: Overcome the Patriarchy's Bullsh*t to Master Your Money and Build a Life You Love. Listen in as Mollie tells us all about personal finances, from emergency funds to investing to 401ks and salary negotiations…

What do women WANT? Wait, don't leave! This isn't a set up for a 1990's male stand-up comedy routine—the answer is NOT shopping. Well, sometimes it's shopping. But no, it's the prompt for Margot Kahn and Kelly McMasters' anthology Wanting: Women Writing About Desire. Join us as Kate tells Mollie all about the WANTING and DESIRE that came up in this…

April showers bring May (dating) story hours! This month, Mollie shares an essay from Samantha Irby's essay collection We Are Never Meeting In Real Life. We get into the hardest ages for dating (all of them?), romantic connections, and how to collect signs about someone you're dating to determine if they're cool or seriously not. Pop culture pairin…

We did it. We read Prince Harry's memoir Spare so you don't have to! You're welcome! Join us this month as Kate tells all about Prince Harry's tell-all. Pop culture pairings: Inventing Latinos by Laura E. Gómez (nonfiction book); The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka (fiction book); and The Banshees of Inisherin (HBO Max, Hulu)…

We're back in February to talk about our favorite subject of all time—food! Listen in as Mollie recounts Anthony Bourdain's famous debut book, Kitchen Confidential. Pop Culture Pairings: Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz (cookbook) and The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr Evidence of Alec Baldwin's astounding vocab…

Was your New Year Resolution to drink more caffeine? We knew it! Join us this January as Kate tells Mollie all about plant drugs like caffeine and how our bodies just can't get enough of them. Pop Culture Pairing: The Bear (Hulu)By Mollie Fox & Kate Kiriakou

Happy holidays from Mollie and Kate! Join us for this sweet and spicy December discussion of "I'd Read Her Grocery Lists" On Cooking With Sylvia Plath, where we talk about our favorite baked goods to make for others (and ourselves) and Sylvia Plath's fraught relationship with baking and domesticity. Pop Culture Pairings: Wicked Cake (magazine). Don…

It's September! That means summer is coming to a close (sadly), so today we're sharing some of our summer reading recommendations to make it last juuuuuust a little bit longer. Join us in denial! The Guest List, Lucy Foley This Thing Between Us, Gus Moreno Mouth to Mouth, Antoine WilsonBy Mollie Fox & Kate Kiriakou

Join us for August's episode as Kate recounts Glitter Up the Dark: How Pop Music Broke the Binary by Sasha Geffen. They dive into Kurt Cobain's fashion, Prince's vocal performance, and the way Cher uses technology to complete the legacy of cyborg princesses. Plus, an important commentary on low-rise jeans. (We hate them. Please stop the comeback.)…

Strap in for another tale of deceit as Mollie reviews Gabrielle Bluestone's book Hype!: How Scammers, Grifters, and Con Artists Are Taking Over the Internet And Why We're Following. Tune in to this meandering conversation that goes from Fyre Fest to.. Applebee's? You won't want to miss it! Summary (1:26) A Fyre Festival Timeline (10:21) Other Key H…

Learn the answers to life's hardest questions this month as Kate discusses How To Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by comedian, writer, and producer Michael Schur. Summary (4:10) Main Issues, Explained (15:32) Key Passages (36:00) Pop Culture Pairings: The Good Place (Netflix), Rutherford Falls (Peacock), BoJack Horseman (Netf…

We're welcoming spring with a new podcast format! This week, Mollie shares a book she read with Kate: Down River: Into The Future of Water in the West by Heather Hansman. Tune in as they talk about river trips, water rights, and vital ecosystems. Summary (2:42) Main Issues, Explained (13:27) Key Passages (47:30) Suggested donations: The Nature Cons…

This month we're diving into Sophie Elmhirst's long read in The Guardian, "Brazilian butt lift: behind the world's most dangerous cosmetic surgery," and "The age of Instagram face" by Jia Tolentino in The New Yorker. Listen in as we explore the sociological, racial, and gender influences on how these procedures became commonplace in the year 2022. …

Wonderworks explores literary inventions through the ages, from the ancient Greeks to modern writers like Alison Bechdel and Tina Fey. Join us as author Angus Fletcher takes us on a literary journey to explore how stories can help us cope with the challenges of life, provide safe spaces for self-discovery, and inspire hope. Summary of the book (5:0…

This week we're discussing a series of articles about the ongoing trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. The articles: They Still Live in the Shadow of Theranos's Elizabeth Holmes by Erin Griffith (The New York Times) 'Concerned Citizen' At Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes' Trial Turns Out To Be Family by Bobby Allyn (NPR) Elizabeth Holmes's Offi…

This week we're discussing the article 'A Smile With Sharp Teeth': Mike Richards's Rise to 'Jeopardy!' Host Sparks Questions About His Past by Claire McNear. Claire McNear, writer for The Ringer, wrote this follow up article after Jeopardy! Executive Producer Mike Richards named *checks notes* himself.. ahem.. as the new host after an intensive sea…

This Is What I Know About Art is one in a series of books from the Pocket Change Collective, a set of short books on important topics written by leading activists and artists. In this insightful edition, arts writer, curator, and activist Kimberly Drew asserts that the art world is for everyone, and writes about the connections between art and acti…

Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft begins by telling the story of his passion for writing. The core of the book, however, is a high-level how-to guide on what makes good fiction. He touches on writers’ tools—vocabulary, grammar, and the elements of style—and offers guidance on the writing process, from story ideation to character deve…

In What Doesn’t Kill You: A Life With Chronic Illness—Lessons from a Body in Revolt, Tessa Miller recounts her journey with Chron’s Disease, a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the bowels that affects the lining of the digestive tract. This book is part memoir, part self-help, and covers the connections between mental health an…

This week we’re talking about Little Weirds, Jenny Slate’s memoir. Jenny Slate is a comedian most well-known for her creation of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On; her acting in Parks and Recreation and Obvious Child; and her recent standup special Stage Fright. Slate shares vignettes of her life about heartache, loneliness, and misogyny in this book …

Today we’re talking about Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider’s Guide to Jeopardy! by Claire McNear. McNear writes about the wildly popular game show Jeopardy!, including how the contestants prepare, depictions of Jeopardy! in pop culture, and the various strategies contestants swear by to win. Summary of the book (2:…

Today we’re talking about Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, the hosts of the popular podcast Call Your Girlfriend. This book is equal parts the story of their relationship and a manifesto on what it takes to navigate a Big Friendship—a robust and significant bond that transcends life phases, geographic l…

This is a Bo Burnham superfan podcast now. We hope that's okay. Join us for a gushing conversation about his newest comedy special, Inside, all about the internet, social media, and the pandemic year.By Mollie Fox

Today we’re talking about How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell. In this complex and wide-ranging book, Odell argues that attention is our most precious resource. The first half of the book is about disengaging from the 'attention economy,' and the second half is about re-engaging with something else: time and space. Ode…

Today we’re talking about Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown. This book covers the relationship between fear, shame, vulnerability, and worthiness through extensive sociological research. Brown unpacks how we shield ourselves from exposure and how to change our behavior…

This week we finish up our discussion of Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, John Carreyrou’s journalistic investigation of the rise and fall of the multi-billion dollar biotech startup, Theranos, founded by Elizabeth Holmes. Our Favorite Quotes (4:40) Mollie's question (43:00) References: 30 Rock episode with Liz meeting Oprah…

Note: Please read this week’s show notes in a fake voice one octave lower than usual as an ode to Elizabeth Holmes. If you don’t get that joke, watch this video and then come back. This week we’re diving into Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, John Carreyrou’s journalistic investigation of the rise and fall of the multi-billio…

In What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat, Aubrey Gordon (aka Your Fat Friend) confronts the cultural attitudes and social systems that deny fat people basic needs and civility. Each chapter takes up a different cultural bias or myth, from the obesity epidemic to the diet industry to concern over others’ health. Summary of the book (7:58) …

This week we’re diving into Rednecks, Queers, & Country Music by Nadine Hubbs. Hubbs argues that the white middle class has villainized country music as a way of distancing themselves from the white working class and that while the middle class portrays sex and gender deviance as new social advances encouraged by the middle class, this sex-gender d…

This week we’re talking about Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber by New York Times technology correspondent Mike Isaac. This book is the story of the tech start-up Uber and its founder, Travis Kalanick, but it’s also a case study of the tech bro culture and founder worship in Silicon Valley, the perils of over-ambition, and the incredible economics …

Who are these people and why did they start a podcast? Let's find out! This week we're mixing it up for a Q&A episode so you can get to know us more. How we got here (1:56) Where Mollie found comfort in 2020 (28:15) Kate's relationship philosophy (33:58) Mollie: An Emotional Engineer (45:01) Our favorite books (56:36) Itching for another book discu…

Welcome back to Reader’s Digress, the podcast where we read nonfiction books so you don’t have to (unless you want to). Join us, hosts Mollie Fox and Kate Kiriakou, as we use a nonfiction book as the springboard to discuss relevant themes and their relation to current events, pop culture, and our personal experiences. This week we’re discussing You…

Welcome to Readers Digress, the podcast where we read nonfiction books so you don’t have to (unless you want to). Join us, hosts Mollie Fox and Kate Kiriakou, as we use a nonfiction book as the springboard to discuss relevant themes and their relation to current events, pop culture, and our personal experiences. Our first two episodes dissect Jesus…

Welcome back to Readers Digress, the podcast where we read nonfiction books so you don’t have to (unless you want to). Join us, hosts Mollie Fox and Kate Kiriakou, as we use a nonfiction book as the springboard to discuss relevant themes and their relation to current events, pop culture, and our personal experiences. This week we’re discussing Jon …

Hi friend! Welcome to Readers Digress, the podcast where we read nonfiction books so you don’t have to (unless you want to). We know, right? Finally! A book club for literature aficionados AND busy people who enjoy engaging conversations but don't want to get dirty looks from their co-worker Kassidy for showing up to the book club without finishing…