Episode 18: What We've Been Reading in 2016
Portable Magic
This episode, Emily and Kyle catch up on what they've been reading so far in 2016 – including a long-overdue discussion of Scott Hawkins' The Library of Mt Char. ...
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Episode 17: Finding the Motivation to Read (& Gift Recs!)
Portable Magic
This episode, Emily and Kyle discuss how they find the time and motivation to read, even amongst all the other distractions of modern life. ...
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Episode 16: Which Books Will Become Classics?
Portable Magic
This episode, Emily and Kyle discuss which contemporary books will become classics. Along the way, they touch on Infinite Jest, Harry Potter, and many, many more. ...
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Episode 15: Books We Read in High School
Portable Magic
This episode, we take a trip back to our awkward high-school years to discuss what we read, what we didn't, and what stuck with us. ...
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Episode Fourteen: Bill Bryson
Portable Magic
This episode, we take a closer look at the bibliography of the amiable travel, science, and memoir writer Bill Bryson. ...
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Episode Thirteen: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
Portable Magic
This episode, we take a hopefully-not-too-grim look at the genre of post-apocalyptic fiction. Emily wonders why the genre attracts so many hyper-masculine writers and Kyle talks about one of his favorite and one of his least favorite novels. ...
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Episode Twelve: The Martian
Portable Magic
This episode, we take a close look at Andy Weir's hard sci-fi novel The Martian and discuss its unusual publication history, its narrative structure, and how effective we thought the book turned out to be. ...
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Episode Eleven: eBooks & Audiobooks
Portable Magic
This episode, we're talking about the alternative book formats: eBooks and audiobooks. We talk about our habits with each, our favorite examples of each medium, and what might be stopping these alternative formats from reaching their full potential. ...
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Episode Ten: Adaptations
Portable Magic
Welcome back to Portable Magic! In this episode, we're talking about adaptations – good and bad. In the mix are The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Princess Bride, The Great Gatsby, Game of Thrones, and many more. ...
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Episode Nine: Short Stories
Portable Magic
We forgot to introduce ourselves this week! If you're new to the show, Portable Magic is hosted by Emily Hughes and Kyle Deas. ...
info_outlineIt’s the Holiday Season, and Portable Magic has you covered! Listen to Emily and Kyle talk about the tricky act of giving books as gifts, what makes a book a great gift, and give some book recommendations for the people in your life.
Episode Breakdown:
- 0:00 – 10:00: What We're Reading
- 10:00 – 35:00: Discussion: Books as Gifts
- 35:00 – 50:00: Specific recommendations for the people in your life
What Emily's Reading:
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link and The World Before Us by Aislinn Hunter.
What Kyle's Reading:
The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss.
Other books mentioned:
- The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbauch
- Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
- In the Woods by Tana French
- The Great Night by Chris Adrian
- Kraken by China Mieville
- A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
- Cloud Atlas, Ghostwritten, and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman
- McTeague by Frank Norris
- Broken Monsters by Lauren Beaukes
- The Shining Girls by Lauren Beaukes
- Macanudo by Liniers
- This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
- The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman
- The Magicians by Lev Grossman
- The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life by Twyla Tharp
- City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett
- Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoët
Buying books at Powell's by using these affiliate links helps support the show!
Want to share the best books you've ever been given as gifts? Got a literature topic you want Emily and Kyle to explore? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC!
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