Somewhere around Episode 9 (Dune: Lowbacca), we decided to give our discussions a little structure by developing a regular episode format with recurring segments. We strive to keep the episodes around an hour each. Check out the show notes of each episode for links to referenced articles and content warnings. New episodes drop on the first Wednesday of every month.
NOTE: Our discussions are pretty much never spoiler-free, so proceed with caution!
Our current theme music is provided by Pets of Belonging.
Episodes 1-44 feature royalty-free theme music courtesy of Eon.
Introduction: We try to remember to introduce ourselves at the beginning of each episode, but you can also get to know us here.
We read your reviews - it’s the most exciting part of the show!
Corrections: when we eat a lil’ crow now and then.
This book - year and context of award if interesting/unique
Brief plot summary by DM: This segment is just what it sounds like, but there’s still room for surprises. Will we take a mile-high view of the plot, or will we spend 20 minutes telling you everything that happened? Who can say! We usually take turns DMing, but we may switch it up depending on a host’s particular interests (or distaste, as in the case of Haley and horses).
Goodies from Goodreads: We carefully curate the best/worst reviews the internet has to offer.
General discussion: What it sounds like. This is the bulk of the show.
Feminist Favorite: We each share our favorite feminist moments from the book, if there are any.
Misogynist Moment: We each share a particularly sexist scene that made us want to scream and pitch the book into a fire. There are lots of these! Sometimes it’s difficult to choose just one.
Boob Talk: We each choose a moment where the male gaze is PARTICULARLY striking. After all, what would a female character be if she simply had breasts, and the author spent no effort telling us exactly what fruits/flowers/objects those breasts are like??
Fantastical food: We delve into the food our characters eat, and how that helps the reader immerse themselves into the novel’s world (or not).
Soap stuff: Could any of this be a storyline on Day of Our Lives? Has it actually been a storyline on Days of Our Lives? If so, we’ll be sure to tell you!
We discuss whether or not we liked the book.
Star Wars or LOTR: A spirited debate among your podcasters about whether this book is more like Star Wars, or more like Lord of the Rings. This grew out of Lori’s 2020 reading of Dune, which prompted her to ask herself, “Oh, is this just Star Wars??” Criteria vary and are completely arbitrary.
Lastly, we’ll tell you what we’re reading next time, and we’ll beg you to rate, review, and subscribe!