Book Club for Masochists: a Readers’ Advisory Podcast
A Readers’ Advisory Podcast about becoming better library staff by reading every genre, whether we like them or not! Every month we read books from a new, randomly picked genre; then on the podcast we discuss our reading choices, experiences, opinions, appeal factors, and other related topics as friends and library workers.
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Episode 234 - Novels in Verse
07/07/2026
Episode 234 - Novels in Verse
It’s episode 234 and time for us to talk about Novels in Verse! We discuss rhyme, meter, interiority, whether any of us understand poetry and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode | | Listen to Things We Read (or tried to…) Goodlord: An Email by Ella Frears Dreaming of You: A Novel in Verse by Melissa Lozada-Oliva Dear Mothman by Robin Gow by Jason Reynolds The Call-out: A Novel in Rhyme by Cat Fitzpatrick Here Is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan by Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo by Oliver K. Langmead Other Media We Mentioned by by Alexander Pushkin by Eliot Weinberger We Computers: A Ghazal Novel by Hamid Ismailov Finding Baba Yaga: A Short Novel in Verse by Jane Yolen by Adrian Tchaikovsky by Harry Martinson There are two different English translations! Links, Articles, and Things 17 Novels in Verse by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Elizabeth Acevedo by Kwame Alexander by MacKenzie Angeconeb by Victoria Chang by Fatima Daas, translated by Lara Vergnaud by Bernardine Evaristo by Whitney French by Idris Goodwin by Conor Kerr by Thanhhà Lại by Melissa Lozada-Oliva by Omar Musa by Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo by Jason Reynolds with artwork by Jason Griffin by Yara Rodrigues Fowler by R. M. Romero by Ari Tison Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, August 4th when we’ll be talking about the genre of Celebrity Memoirs as suggested by Kjs4658 Then on August 18th, we'll be giving our summer media update.
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Episode 233 - Battle of the Books 2026
06/16/2026
Episode 233 - Battle of the Books 2026
It’s episode 233 and time for Battle of the Books 2026! Which book will we all read and discuss? You decide! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | by Adam Aleksic (2025) by John Scalzi (2023) Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz (2025) The Forest of a Thousand Eyes by Frances Hardinge (2025) Runners Up Hags: The Demonisation of Middle-Aged Women by Victoria Smith (2024) How to Tell When We Will Die: On Pain, Disability, and Doom by Johanna Hedva (2024) by Stuart Turton (2018) Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas (2024) How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva (2026) by Lee Lai (2025) Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky (2023) by Jacqueline Harpman, translated by Ros Schwartz (1995/1998) by John Williams (1965) Other Media We Mentioned Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age by Vauhini Vara by Liz Pelly How to Read Now: Essays by Elaine Castillo How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler by Grace Curtis How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America edited by Lee Child and Laurie R. King by Natalie Zina Walschots by John Scalzi by John Scalzi by John Scalzi by John Scalzi by Annalee Newitz Links, Articles, and Things (TVTropes) 15 Adventure Fiction Books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Win Blevins by Alexandre Dumas by Percival Everett by Melissa Grey by Xiaolu Guo by Saad Z. Hossain by Adiba Jaigirdar by Tom Lin by Kwame Mbalia by Sarah Raughley by Jewell Parker Rhodes by David Robertson by Aminah Mae Safi by Nikki Shannon Smith by Tessa Yang Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, July 7th when we’ll be talking about Novels in Verse! Then on Tuesday, August 4th we're discussing Celebrity Memoirs! (As suggested by Kjs4658.)
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Episode 232 - Coming of (Old) Age
06/02/2026
Episode 232 - Coming of (Old) Age
It’s episode 232 and time for us to talk about coming of (old) age! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by Agatha Christie by Agatha Christie Real Estate by Deborah Levy Becoming Crone by Lydia M. Hawke by Karen Joy Fowler by Virgina Evans Shadow Life written by Hiromi Goto, illustrated by Ann Xu Other Media We Mentioned by Fredrik Backman by Mitch Albom by Kanehito Yamada by Kij Johnson by V. E. Schwab by Terry Pratchett Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye written by Gerard Way and Jon Rivera, art by Michael Avon Oeming Catwoman: Lonely City by Cliff Chiang by Robin Hobb What Makes Olga Run?: The Mystery of the 90-Something Track Star and What She Can Teach Us About Living Longer, Happier Lives, by Bruce Grierson by John Scalzi Links, Articles, and Things 10 Coming of (Old) Age by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Rabih Alameddine by Julia Alvarez by Angie Cruz by Aaron John Curtis by Milena Michiko Flašar, translated by Caroline Froh by Hiromi Goto, illustrated by Ann Xu by Nalini Jones by Paule Marshall by Geetanjali Shree, translated by Daisy Rockwell by De'Shawn Charles Winslow Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, June 16th, when we’ll each be pitching a book we think we should all read and you get to vote on which! Then on Tuesday, July 7th we'll be talking about Novels in Verse!
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Episode 231 - Sapphic Horror
05/05/2026
Episode 231 - Sapphic Horror
It’s episode 231 and time for us to talk about Sapphic Horror! We discuss which monster is the most sapphic, unrealistic reality TV shows, and how queer a book has to be to count as sapphic. You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) Diavola by Jennifer Thorne The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin, read by Chase Sui Wonders Extasia by Claire Legrand by Caitlin Starling Black Flame by Gretchen Felker-Martin Moonflow by Bitter Karella This World is Not Yours by Kemi Ashing-Giwa The Scourge Between the Stars by Ness Brown by Cheon Seon-Ran, translated by Gene Png Other Media We Mentioned Fist of the Spider Woman: Tales of Fear and Queer Desire edited by Amber Dawn by Jenny Hval When I Arrived at the Castle by E.M. Carroll by Sheridan Le Fanu The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories edited by Alan Ryan (contains Carmilla) by Folding Ideas by Folding Ideas 18 Sapphic Horror by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Kalynn Bayron by Agustina Bazterrica, translated by Sarah Moses by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta by Jewelle Gomez by Ling Ling Huang by Carmen Maria Machado by Meriam Metoui by Tiffany Morris by Hache Pueyo by Anbara Salam by Lai Sanders by Yah Yah Scholfield by Jamison Shea by Rivers Solomon by Jade Song by Lianyu Tan by Vincent Tirado by Trang Thanh Tran Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, June 2nd we’ll be talking about “Coming of (old) age,” suggested to us by Meghan’s mom. Then on Tuesday, June 16th, we’ll each be pitching a book we think we should all read and you get to vote on which!
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Episode 230 - Spring 2026 Media Update
04/21/2026
Episode 230 - Spring 2026 Media Update
It’s episode 230 and time for us to talk about media we've been enjoying! We discuss music, video essays, movies, comics, books, crafts, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We're Enjoying: Matthew by Patrick (H) Willems Hobtown Mystery Stories, vol. 2: The Cursed Hermit by Kris Bertin and Alexander Forbes, colour by Jason Fischer-Kouhi Witchy Stitching: 25 Patterns to Haunt Your Home by Meg Black Meghan KEXP “” by the Brudi Brothers (full set) (full set) Live music at local venues Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker Jam New music highlights (): by Hemlocke Springs by Mitski "" by Lime Garden "" by Henry Mansfield "" by Miki Jam's full (spreadsheet will be shared in our Discord) (2022 movie) Raspberry and almond sourdough cake Based on the "Cherry and Almond Bake" recipe from by Vanessa Kimbell Anna Webtoons (mature) by 97pieces (all ages) by Jeong Seokchan Other Media We Mentioned Links, Articles, and Things 15 Non-Fiction Books about Psychology by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Stacey Diane Arañez Litam by Mariel Buqué by Yuria Celidwen by Catherine Cho by Stephanie Foo by Natalie Y. Gutiérrez by Khameer Kidia by Sahaj Kaur Kohli by Johnathan Mathias Lassiter by Jennifer Mullan by Shigehiro Oishi by Kala Allen Omeiza by V.S. Ramachandran and Sandra Blakeslee by David A. Robertson by Jenny T. Wang Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, May 5th when we’ll be talking about Sapphic Horror! Join us again on Tuesday, June 2nd we’ll be talking about “coming of (old) age” books.
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Episode 229 - Media Criticism
04/07/2026
Episode 229 - Media Criticism
It’s episode 229 and time for us to talk about Media Criticism. We talk about what counts as media, the challenges of writing about emerging forms of media, how we interact with criticism, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) The Male Gazed: On Hunks, Heartthrobs, and What Pop Culture Taught Me About (Desiring) Men by Manuel Betancourt Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean by Douglas Wolk Marvel Age of Comics: Doctor Strange: A Decade of Dark Magic by Stuart Moore, narrated by Jason Lasky Critical Hits: Writers Playing Video Games edited by J. Robert Lennon and Carmen Maria Machado Culture Creep: Notes on a Pop Apocalypse by Alice Bolin Pop Classics #15: Ugh, as if!: Clueless by Veronica Litt Selected Amazon Reviews by Kevin Killian We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film by Tre'vell Anderson by James Baldwin Why I love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature edited by Becky Siegel Spratford Bad Indian Bookclub: Reading at the Edge of a Thousand Worlds by Patty Krawec Other Media We Mentioned Clever Girl: Jurassic Park by Hannah McGregor by Neil Postman by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky | Official Trailer | National Theatre Live (with hbomberguy, D'Angelo Wallace, and Mina Le, ft. Spencer Agnew) Our Favourite Video Essayists/Reviewers/Reviews : The Worst Fighting Game : Just Bad Games by F.D Signifier by Innuendo Studios and Questing Refuge Links, Articles, and Things 20 Media Criticism Books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Hanif Abdurraqib by Jennifer Adese and Robert Alexander by Tre'vell Anderson by James Baldwin by Amiri Baraka by Manuel Betancourt by Fatima Bhutto by Donald Bogle by Bethonie Butler by Karrmen Crey by Jennifer David by Marijam Did by Karen Han by Aisha Harris by Wil Haygood by Hideo Kojima by Julia Lee by Lori Kido Lopez by Robin R. Means Coleman and Mark H. Harris by Questlove Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, April 21st it’s time for our Spring Media update! Then on Tuesday, May 5th, we’ll be talking about Sapphic horror (as suggested by tmauch)
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Episode 228 - Computers / Computer Science
03/17/2026
Episode 228 - Computers / Computer Science
It’s episode 228 and time for us to talk about Computers and Computer Science books! We discuss technology, digital humanities, coding, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) Track Changes: A Literary History of Word Processing by Matthew G. Kirschenbaum (2016) Floppy Disk Fever: The Curious Afterlives of a Flexible Medium (2022) I could not find a free version of this online edited by Thomas S. Mullaney, Benjamin Peters, Mar Hicks, and Kavita Philip (2021) The Computer Always Wins: A Playful Introduction to Algorithms through Puzzles and Strategy Games Paperback by Elliot Lichtman (2025) Must Know High School Computer Programming by Julie Sway (2020) by Neal Stephenson (1999) A Prehistory of the Cloud by Tung-Hui Hu (2016) Turing's Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe by George Dyson (2012) Other Media We Mentioned by Tracy Kidder Close to the Machine: Technophilia and its Discontents San Francisco by Ellen Ullman Life in Code: A Personal History of Technology by Ellen Ullman by Neal Stephenson (1999) by Neal Stephenson Links, Articles, and Things by Matthew Murray 🦇, Fernando Rios, and Seth Erickson (formerly Foone) 15 Computer Science Books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Haythem Balti and Alan Galloway by Ruha Benjamin by Aditya Y. Bhargava by Meredith Broussard by Bronwyn Carlson and Ryan Frazer by Karen Hao by Joseph Migga Kizza by Clifford Lee & Elisabeth Soep by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor by Safiya Umoja Noble by Simon Singh by Sheena Vaidyanathan by Jennifer Wemigwans by Alex Xu by Song Y. Yan Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, April 7th we’ll be talking about Media Criticism (as suggested by daftkifty) Then on Tuesday, April 21st it’s time for our Spring Media Update!
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Episode 227 - Utterly Unfamiliar and Downright Detestable
03/03/2026
Episode 227 - Utterly Unfamiliar and Downright Detestable
It’s episode 227 and time for an emergency backup episode! This episode is the audio version of “Utterly Unfamiliar and Downright Detestable” a presentation we gave for the 2022 Ontario Library Association’s RA in a Day event. There’s also a video version on our YouTube channel. You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Video version Slides Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, March 17th when we’ll be talking about Computer Science books (as suggested by Lea). Then on Tuesday, April 7th we’ll be talking about Media Criticism (as suggested by daftkifty).
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Episode 226 - Reading Resolutions
02/17/2026
Episode 226 - Reading Resolutions
It’s episode 226 and time for us to talk about our 2026 Reading Resolutions! We discuss reading books, not reading books, quitting reading books, throwing books in the garbage, and more! Plus: Oh no, the passage of time! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | 2026 "resolutions"/intentions Matthew Read all the personal "book of the month" display books Read all the fiction books owned Read all of the non-comics non-fiction owned Read all the graphic novels owned Be on the internet less and read more Get rid of books monthly Anna Read more fiction Catch up on what fantasy's been up to in the last 15ish years Meghan Read books already owned (for the podcast when possible); rereads ok! Jam Read in tiny bursts if that's the time available Quit books and move on to something else Give Us Suggestions! Suggest puzzle books to Jam Suggest fantasy novels from the last 15 years to Anna Suggest sources for in-depth book reviews Other Media We Mentioned by Patricia Briggs Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones Links, Articles, and Things American Gothic books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . Ruby by Cynthia Bond House of Cotton by Monica Brashears An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole The Bondwoman’s Narrative by Hannah Crafts The Reformatory by Tananarive Due Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones The House of Erzulie by Kirsten Imani Kasai A Visitation of Spirits by Randall Kenan When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen Beloved by Toni Morrison Cane by Jean Toomer Bitter in the Mouth by Monique Truong Sing Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward We Are a Haunting by Tyriek White Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, March 3rd when we’ll be talking about Computer Science books (as suggested by Lea). Then on Tuesday, April 7th we’ll be talking about Media Criticism (as suggested by daftkifty).
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Episode 225 - Queer Romance
02/03/2026
Episode 225 - Queer Romance
It’s episode 225 and just in time for Valentine’s Day we talk about Queer Romance! We discuss what counts and doesn’t count as romance, ice hockey, regency, spies, demons, and more! Plus: Matthew reads a book he actually likes, Jam reads a book they dislike, and a fairly large chunk of the episode wasn’t recorded and had to be edited around! Guess what parts were re-recorded! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) Betrothed to the Emperor by Kai Butler (2025) Emperor’s Wrath by Kai Butler (2025) If I Told You, I’d Have To Kiss You by Mae Marvel (2025) The Devil She Knows by Alexandria Bellefleur (2025) The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer (2021) With Stars In Her Eyes by Andie Burke (2025) Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei (2022) A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall (2022) A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander (2025) Not discussed Learning Curves by Rachel Lacey (2025) The Unexpected Heiress by Cassidy Cane (2025) One Love by Matt Cain (2025) Swordcrossed by Freya Marske (2024) First Time for Everything by Henry Fry (2022) - Not actually romance Other Media We Mentioned Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake (2022) by Rachel Reid (2019) by Casey McQuiston (2019) Links, Articles, and Things 25 Queer Romance Books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Kianna Alexander by Moa Backe Åstot, translated by Eva Apelqvist by Kacen Callender by Jennifer Chen by Alyssa Cole by Alyssa Cole by Gabriella Gamez by Camryn Garrett by Jonny Garza Villa by Jonny Garza Villa by Jasmine Guillory by Chencia C. Higgins by Kosoko Jackson by Adib Khorram by Karmen Lee by Darcy Liao by Alice Lin by Gary Lonesborough by Cole McCade by Tehlor Mejia by Trinity Nguyen by Aminah Mae Safi by Jodie Slaughter by Be Steadwell by Julian Winters Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, February 17th when we’ll be discussing our 2026 Reading Resolutions (or non resolutions). Then on Tuesday, March 3rd we’ll be talking about Computer Science books (as suggested by Lea).
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Episode 224 - History
01/06/2026
Episode 224 - History
It’s episode 224 and time for us to talk about History books! We discuss queer history, local history, spies, roads, colonialism, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by Norma Greggie and Stuart Greggie (1974) by Jody Wilson-Raybould and Roshan Danesh (2024) by Mark Richardson (2025) by Alex L. Combs and Andrew Eakett (2025) by Eric Cervini (2020) by Lynne Olson (2019) by Daniel Immerwahr (2019) (2025) by Donna Seto (2025) by Brian Jones (2025) by Garrett M. Graff (2024) Other Media We Mentioned (podcast) by Jon Peterson by Steenz and Samuel Sattin Links, Articles, and Things 28 History Books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Jonathan Abrams by the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation by Ned Blackhawk by Leah Redmond Chang by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translated by Janet Hong by Ramachandra Guha by Nisid Hajari by Nikole Hannah-Jones by Kelly Lytle Hernández by Gord Hill by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain by Amin Maalouf, translated by Jon Rothschild by Tiya Miles by multiple authors by Gloria Muñoz Ramírez by Sathnam Sanghera by Nikil Saval by Donna Seto by Margot Lee Shetterly edited by Michael D. Shin by C. Riley Snorton by Michael W. Twitty by Jaipreet Virdi by Chelsea Vowel by Isabel Wilkerson by Yang Jisheng, translated by Stacy Mosher and Guo Jian by Helen Zia Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, February 3rd we’ll be talking about Queer Romance! Then on Tuesday, February 17th we’ll be discussing our 2026 Reading Resolutions (or non resolutions).
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Episode 223 - 2025 Favourites
12/16/2025
Episode 223 - 2025 Favourites
It’s episode 223 and time for us to discuss our favourite reads (and other things) from 2025! We talk vampires, monster romance, cultural studies, linguistics & language, and more. Plus: Guess how many of our favourite reads are actually from 2025 (it’s more than zero!). You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Genres (and "genres") we covered in 2025: Fiction Non-fiction Other Favourite Fiction For the podcast Anna (2025) by Barbara Truelove () Jam (2019) by Ann Aguirre () Matthew (2025) by Taylor Robin () Meghan (1995) by Robin Hobbs () Not for the podcast Jam (2017-2024) by Ryoko Kui Matthew (2024-2025) by Mike Duncan Meghan (2012) by Christopher Buehlman Anna (2006-2024) by Patricia Briggs (2006) Favourite Non-Fiction For the podcast Matthew (2018) by Gaston Dorren () Meghan (2024) by Hannah McGregor () Anna (1985) by Neil Postman () Jam (2015) by Jhumpa Lahiri () Not for the podcast Meghan (2024) by Christopher Brown Anna (2022) by Douglas Rushkoff Jam (2023) by Mac Barnett Matthew (2021) by Cal Flyn Other Favourite Things of 2025 Anna Nongshim Shin Ramyun Stir Fry Gourmet Spicy Noodles With Cheese Jam Getting into drag (and writing a friend-newsletter about it) “Touch Fabric” project () Matthew by Katsuhiro Otomo by Katsuhiro Otomo Meghan (prog metal) (atmospheric metal) Runners-Up Jam by Hal Schrieve () by Malinda Lo () by Alejandro Zambra, translated by Megan McDowell () (Jam has clocked 150+ hours) (consider making a !) Anna By Terry Prachett by Davinia Evans by Stephanie Burgis by Grace Curtis Matthew Books Inheritance () by Catherine D’Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein by David Graeber () Comics (vols. 4-6) by Yuki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue (vols. 2-4) by Itsuki Nanao and Nekokurage by Aliza Layne (vols. 13-14) by Tsubasa Yamaguchi by Shintarō Kago by Tina Horn and Lisa Sterle by Sam Humphries and Joe Quinones (vols. 2-4) by Kasumi Yasuda (vol. 1) by Kei Urana by Kintetsu Yamada by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (vols. 1-2) by Rumiko Takahashi Vampirella: Dark Powers by Dan Abnett and Paul Davidson / Red Sonja: The Superpowers Collection by Dan Abnett and Jonathan Lau (vol. 1) by Tom Peyer and Jamal Igle Meghan French by Bernard Lacroix by Malcolm Reid Non-fiction by Liz Pelly by Casey Johnston edited by Niko Stratis and Tuck Woodstock by Bitmap Books Fiction Horror/Dark Fantasy by Robin McKinley by CG Drews by T. Kingfisher by T. Kingfisher (Tinfoil Dossier #1) by Caitlín R. Kiernan Fantasy by Madeline Miller (Curse Bearer #2) by Veronica Roth by Leigh Bardugo Scifi (series) Cory Doctorow (series) by Rachel Bach Romantasy / Romance (The Shepard King Duology) by Rachel Gillig by Freya Marske by John Wiswell Translation by Izumi Suzuki, translated by Helen O'Horan by Vincenzo Latronico, translated by Sophie Hughes Articles, links, and other media (Posted October 3rd!!!!) by Taylor Robin 25 Non-Fiction Politics Books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Justin Akers Chacón by adrienne maree brown by Ta-Nehisi Coates by Katherine Alejandra Cross by Hamid Dabashi by Angela Y. Davis by Omar El Akkad by Mohammed El-Kurd by Patricia Evangelista by Haunani-Kay Trask edited by Rachel Kuo, Jaimee A. Swift, and TD Tso by Gord Hill by bell hooks by Bob Joseph by Mariame Kaba by Nelson Mandela by Paola Ramos by The Red Nation by Arundhati Roy by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò edited by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor by Harsha Walia by Isabel Wilkerson by Jody Wilson-Raybourd Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, January 6th when we’ll be beginning our year of “listener suggested genres” with History! Then on Tuesday, February 3rd we’ll be discussing Queer Romance!
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Episode 222 - Books from the 1980s
12/02/2025
Episode 222 - Books from the 1980s
It’s episode 222 and time for us to talk about books from the 1980s! Okay, I say “books” but it’s really “science fiction and fantasy novels from the 1980s.” You probably could have guessed that if you've listened to the podcast before. You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) (1989) by Terry Pratchett (1989) by Terry Pratchett (1987) by Octavia Butler (1987) by Melissa Scott (1897) by George Alec Effinger (1897) Other Media We Mentioned by Diana Wynne Jones by Tom Peyer and Jamal Igle by Terry Pratchett by Terry Pratchett by Terry Pratchett by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky by Neil Postman by Tracy Kidder (1981) by William Kotzwinkle (novel) by James Kahn Links, Articles, and Things The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. ... A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. ... But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet. 20 Books of the 1980s by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Anita Desai (1980) by Leslie Marmon Silko (1980) by Angela Y. Davis (1981) by Salman Rushdie (1981) by Audre Lorde (1982) by Alice Walker (1982) by Beatrice Culleton (1983) by Percival Everett (1983) by Sandra Cisneros (1984) by Louise Erdrich (1984) by Gabriel García Márquez (1985) by Kazuo Ishiguro (1986) by Chinua Achebe (1987) by Octavia Butler (1987) by Witi Ihimaera (1987) by Toni Morrison (1987) by Walter Dean Meyers (1988) by Ahn Junghyo (1989) by Evelyn Lau (1989) by Amy Tan (1989) Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, December 16th we’ll be talking about our favourite books of 2025! Then on Tuesday, January 6th we’ll be beginning our year of “listener suggested genres” with… non-fiction history!
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Episode 221 - Epic & High Fantasy
11/04/2025
Episode 221 - Epic & High Fantasy
It’s episode 221 and time for us to talk about Epic & High Fantasy! We talk about maps, magic, monsters, whether Pokémon counts as epic fantasy, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by Ursula K. Le Guin by Jo Walton by Janny Wurts and Raymond E. Feist by Evan Leikam by Davinia Evans by Robin Hobb Other Media We Mentioned by John Darnielle by Anne McCaffery by J.R.R. Tolkien by Terry Pratchett by Michael J. Sullivan by Elizabeth Moon by Philip Pullman by Tamora Pierce by Raymond E. Feist by Garth Nix by John Gwynne by James Islington by Brian Jacques by Terry Brooks by George R. R. Martin by Robert Jordan by Raymond E. Feist and others by Oscar Wilde by Matt Dinniman Links, Articles, and Things (Wikipedia) 20 Epic & High Fantasy Books by BIPOC Authors Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Tomi Adeyemi by Saladin Ahmed by Melissa Blair by Kendare Blake by Wesley Chu by C. L. Clark by Hadeer Elsbai by Lizz Huerta by Marlon James by N. K. Jemisin by Simon Jimenez by Ambelin Kwaymullina by Tonia Laird by Fonda Lee by Ken Liu by Tochi Onyebuchi by Rebecca Roanhorse by Caskey Russell by Tasha Suri by Sabaa Tahir Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, December 2nd when we’ll be talking about Books from the 1980s. Then on Tuesday, December 16th we’ll be talking about our favourite books of 2025!
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Episode 220 - How Far the Light Reaches
10/21/2025
Episode 220 - How Far the Light Reaches
It’s episode 220 and time for us to talk about the winner of our One Book One Podcast / Battle of the Books: How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler! We discuss content warnings, anthropomorphising sea critters, our relationships with the ocean, salps, goldfish, whales, octopus, crabs, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by Sabrina Imbler My Life in Sea Creatures: What the Ocean’s Animals can Teach us About Ourselves My Life in Sea Creatures: A young queer science writer’s reflections on identity and the ocean I can’t actually find any edition of the book with this on the cover, though it’s frequently listed as the subtitle on various book websites. I have no idea why there are different titles. Other Media We Mentioned by Michelle Zauner by Jacob Geller Links, Articles, and Things by Hank Green 11 Steampunk Fiction Books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Moniquill Blackgoose by David Bowles, Raúl The Third, Stacey Robinson, and Damian Duffy by Maurice Broaddus by Amber Chen by P. Djélí Clark edited by Jaymee Goh and Joyce Chng by Ann Sei Lin by Hemant Nayak by Nisi Shawl by Ru Xu by Victoria Ying Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, November 4th when we’ll be talking about the genre of Epic and High Fantasy! Then on Tuesday, December 2nd we’ll be reading books from the 1980s!
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Episode 219 - Vampire Fiction
10/07/2025
Episode 219 - Vampire Fiction
It’s episode 219 and time for us to talk about the genre(?) of Vampires! We discuss the difference between thralls and familiars, why vampires love math, whether it’s possible to not read vampire stories, how much blood is too much blood, vegetarian vampires, books that mysteriously show up on our holds lists, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by Barbara Truelove by Sarah Winifred Searle by Taylor Robin by Hal Schrieve Meghan’s books by Stephanie Meyer (498pg) by Octavia E. Butler (336pg) by Dan Simmons (767pg) by Brett Easton Ellis (240pg) by Callie Hart (624pg) by Justin Cronin (784pg) Other Media We Mentioned by Deborah Howe and James Howe by Charlaine Harris by Anne Rice by Stephen King by Stephan Franck by Jessica Abel, Gabriel Soria, and Warren Pleece by Jewelle Gomez by Amy Chu and Maria Laura Sanapo by Ian Edginton and D'Israeli by Dungeon Chill by Isaac Fellman (Icelandic “translation” of Dracula) by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu Links, Articles, and Things (TV Tropes) 20 Vampire Fiction Books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Lauren Blackwood by Octavia E. Butler by Isabel Cañas by Mike Chen by Cheon Seon-Ran, translated by Gene Png by Amy Chu and Soo Lee by Rin Chupeco by Julie C. Dao by Hafsah Faizal by Sara General by Tigest Girma by Jewelle Gomez by Sharina Harris by Alexis Henderson by Stephen Graham Jones by Claire Kohda by Angela Montoya by Silvia Moreno-Garcia by Markus Redmond by Drew Hayden Taylor Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, October 21st we’ll be discussing How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures (or whatever the UK title is). Then on Tuesday, November 4th we’ll be talking about the genre of Epic and High Fantasy!
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Episode 218 - Book Club Books
09/02/2025
Episode 218 - Book Club Books
It’s episode 218 and time for us to talk about the Book Club Books! We discuss what counts as a book club, religion, food memoirs, historical fiction, girls loving each other in 1954, the prison industrial complex, and more! Plus, we discuss geographic-specific food we miss! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by Celeste Ng by Maria Semple by Patricia Lockwood by Michelle Zauner Service95 Book Club: by Malinda Lo by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Other Media We Mentioned by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori by Hiron Ennes by Marcel Proust by Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein by N.D. Stevenson by Jane Austen by Shirley Jackson Links, Articles, and Things Below the Fray: Foods We Miss (Okay, that’s just a link to the ice cream place in Alaska Anna likes) Buffalo chicken vs. 15 Book Club Books by BIPOC Authors (Being Read This Month) Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . The books below are being read by book clubs in September 2025, so you can read along with them! The group reading the book is included in parentheses. by Josephine Baker () by Angeline Boulley () by adrienne maree brown () by Taylor Byas () by Percival Everett () by Sabrina Imbler () by Simon Jimenez () by Melissa Lozada-Olivia () by Silvia Moreno-Garcia () by Morgan Talty () by Twan Eng Tan () by Tourmaline () by Ocean Vuong () by Rita Williams-Garcia () by Nicola Yoon () Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, October 7th we’ll be discussing the genre of Vampires! Then on Tuesday, October 21st we’ll be discussing How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures (or whatever the UK title is).
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Episode 217 - Summer Media 2025
08/19/2025
Episode 217 - Summer Media 2025
It’s episode 217 and time for our Summer Media Update! We discuss shelf trophies, sumo wrestling, Kpop Demon Hunters, blogs in book form, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) Jam (video game) (podcast) (Talking Heads concert film) Matthew The places sumo matches happen are “sumo halls” The Lightning Round (Thunderbolts) Meghan and BookTube () Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series (Les Aventures d'Anita Blake, tueuse de vampire) by Christopher Buehlman Anna Puzzles by Ursula K. Le Guin Other Media We Mentioned by Lynn Flewelling by Christopher Buehlman Links, Articles, and Things The pretty books 15 True Crime books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Rabia Chaudry by Peter Chin and Everett De Morier by Alfredo Corchado by Anabel Hernández by Yvonne Johnson and Rudy Wiebe by Shane McCrae by Laci Mosley by Haruki Murakami, Alfred Birnbaum (Translator), Philip Gabriel (Translator) by Cheryl Neely by Michael Nest, Deanna Reder, Eric Bell by Tanya Smith by Ron Stallworth by Bryan Stevenson by Mamie Till-Mobley and Christopher Benson by Padma Viswanathan Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us on Tuesday, September 2nd we’ll be discussing Book Club Books, whatever that means. Then on Tuesday, October 7th we’ll be discussing the genre of Vampires!
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Episode 216 - Rural Noir & Grit Lit
08/05/2025
Episode 216 - Rural Noir & Grit Lit
It’s episode 216 and time for us to talk about the genre of Rural Noir / Grit Lit! We discuss what counts as “rural,” whether “coastal noir” is a thing, how intense these stories can be, and more! Plus: Should fiction about Gritty (the mascot) be classified as about a "real person"? You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by Tom Franklin by Bonnie Jo Campbell by David Heska Wanbli Weiden by Tony Birch Other Media We Mentioned by Charles Portis by Dorothy Allison by Donald Ray Pollock by Daniel Woodrell by Gary Paulsen by Jane Harper by Pinckney Benedict , by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guéra by Ashkan Soltani Stone and Natale A Zappia Links, Articles, and Things Rhode Island is the 2nd most densely populated state 11 Rural Noir and Grit Lit books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Tony Birch by S.A. Cosby by S.A. Cosby by Percival Everett by Kimi Cunningham Grant t by Julie Janson by Attica Locke by Melissa Lucashenko by Nyani Nkrumah by Jesmyn Ward by David Heska Wanbli Weiden Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, August 19th when it’s time for our summer Media update when we’ll talk about books, comics, games, music and more! Then on Tuesday, September 2nd we’ll be discussing Book Club Books, whatever that means.
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Episode 215 - Battle of the Books 2025
07/15/2025
Episode 215 - Battle of the Books 2025
It’s episode 215 and time for our annual Battle of the Books! This year we’re each pitching a non-fiction book we think we should all read and discuss and then you (our listeners) get to vote on which one! Plus! A chance for a listener to win a book! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | by Vauhini Vara by Liz Pelly by Elaine Castillo by Sabrina Imbler Titles from our Short Lists by Alexandra Rowland by Tina Horn by Kristy Cooper by Rosemary Mosco by Vanessa Angélica Villarreal by Grace Curtis by Bob the Drag Queen Links, Articles, and Things by Liz Pelly Previous episodes (2018) (2019) Matthew finally made 15 Supernatural Thrillers by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Ann Dávila Cardinal by Cherie Dimaline by Tananarive Due by Ramona Emerson by Kosoko Jackson by Stephen Graham Jones by Xan Kaur by Cassandra Khaw by Nick Medina by Silvia Moreno-Garcia by Daniel José Older by Rebecca Roanhorse by Rivers Solomon by Trisha Tobias by Erika T. Wurth Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, August 5th when we’ll be discussing the genre of Rural Noir and Grit Lit! Then on Tuesday, August 19th when it’s time for our summer Media update when we’ll talk about books, comics, games, music and more!
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Episode 214 - Non-Traditional Storytelling
07/01/2025
Episode 214 - Non-Traditional Storytelling
It’s episode 214 and time for us to talk about the genre/topic of Non-Traditional Storytelling! We discuss epistolary novels, novels in verse, punctuation, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by Alejandro Zambra, translated by Megan McDowell and David Bischoff by Daniel Arnold, Darrell Dennis, and Medina Hahn by Zachery Thomas Dodson by Lucy Ellmann by Jane Yolen Other Media We Mentioned by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst by Italo Calvino, translated by William Weaver by Frances Burney by Steven Hall by Mark Dunn by Georges Perec, translated by Gilbert Adair by Mark Z. Danielewski by Maggie Nelson by Shirley Jackson “” by Thomas Pynchon by Lev Tolstoy, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas by Antony Johnston by Cat Fitzpatrick Links, Articles, and Things Reddit threads 15 Non-Traditional Storytelling books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Ana Castillo by Darrell Dennis, Medina Hahn, and Daniel Arnold by Shannon Gibney by Stephen Graham Jones by Thanhha Lai by Melissa Lozada-Oliva by Subimal Misra, translated by V. Ramaswamy by Walter Dean Myers by Isabel Quintero by Jason Reynolds with art by Jason Griffin by Alana Saab by Tanya Tagaq with art by Jaime Hernandez by Nicola Yoon with art by Frank Yoon by Charles Yu by Alejandro Zambra, translated by Megan McDowell Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, July 15th. It's time for our “Battle of the Books!” We’ll each pitch a book, and our listeners (that means you) will get to vote on which one we all read. Then on Tuesday, August 5th when we’ll be discussing the genre of Rural Noir/Grit Lit.
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Episode 213 - Found Books
06/03/2025
Episode 213 - Found Books
It’s episode 213 and time for us to talk about “Found Books,” that is books that we’ve found in public little free libraries, book exchanges, and book swaps! We discuss the recently returned book cart, getting books for free, getting rid of books, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie by Slavomir Rawicz by Omar El Akkad by Mark Z. Danielewski by Umberto Eco, translated by William Weaver by G.M. Malliet Other Media We Mentioned by Gary Barwin by Helen Oyeyemi by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, translated by Nancy Forest-Flier by Jerry Pallotta and Ralph Masiello (Warhammer magazine) Links, Articles, and Things (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia) Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, July 1st when we’ll be discussing the genre/format of Non-Traditional Storytelling (e.g. not prose). Then on Tuesday, July 15th it’s time for our “Battle of the Books!” We’ll each pitch a book, and our listeners (that means you) will get to vote on which one we all read.
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Episode 212 - Language & Linguistics
05/06/2025
Episode 212 - Language & Linguistics
It’s episode 212 and time for us to talk about excellently complicate the non-fiction genre of Linguistics & Language! We discuss 🤔, our academic backgrounds, the power of words, accents, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by Gretchen McCulloch by Polly Barton by Jhumpa Lahiri, translated by Ann Goldstein by James Geary by Gaston Dorren Other Media We Mentioned by Eliot Weinberger by Guy Deutscher edited by Thomas S. Mullaney, Benjamin Peters, Marie Hicks, and Kavita Philip by Kuniichi Ashiya by Fumiyo Kouno, translated by Ko Ransom by Marie Kondō, translated by Cathy Hirano You are quoting her translator, Cathy Hirano. She invented "sparks joy" out of whole cloth. What Marie Kondo says is "This makes my heart go pitter pat.” -Zack Davisson [Looking for Alaska] by John Green, translated by Sophie Zeitz “” - John Green by Nanna Nesshöver and Wiebke Rauers by Gaston Dorren, translated by Alison Edwards Links, Articles, and Things (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia) There are four Kinokuniya shops in Texas. Four! Put one in Denver! (Wikipedia) 15 Language & Linguistics Books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Lindsay Keegitah Borrows edited by Joanne Kilgour Dowdy and Lisa Delpit edited by Eufemia Fantetti, Leonarda Carranza, and Ayelet Tsabari by Lorena Sekwan Fontaine e by Jila Ghomeshi by Tomson Highway by Quiara Alegría Hudes by Maia Lee-Chin with illustrations by Marta Bertello by Jhumpa Lahiri by John McWhorter by Salikoko S. Mufwene by Solomon Ratt with illustrations by Holly Martin by Lee A. Tonouchi by Jing Tsu by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, June 3rd when we’ll be discussing “Found Books,” that is books that we’ve found in public little free libraries, book exchanges, and book swaps. Then on July 1st we’ll be talking about Non-Traditional Storytelling (e.g. fiction that’s not prose)!
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Episode 211 - Spring Media Update 2025
04/15/2025
Episode 211 - Spring Media Update 2025
It’s episode 211 and we’re talking about books and other media we’ve enjoyed recently! We discuss early internet chatrooms, shuttlecocks, haunted dolls, what constitutes a “banger”, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | What We’re Into: Anna by Joshua Wheeler on Stream Matthew by Tim Hanley Jam by G.T. Karber adjacent media (YouTube) (podcast) (YouTube) Meghan by Thomas Olde Heuvelt and (short story collections) Other Media We Mentioned (film) Links, Articles, and Things 15 Fairy Tales, Fables, Legends, Myths, and Folklore books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Nimra Bandukwala and Manahil Bandukwala by Osamu Dazai, translated by Ralph F. McCarthy by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Maria Tatar by Jamila Gavin by Virginia Hamilton, illustrated by Diane Dillon and Leo Dillon by Jamie Hernandez by Tomson Highway by E. Pauline Johnson by Dan SaSuWeh Jones, illustrated by Weshoyot Alvitre by Komatsu Kazuhiko, translated by Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda by Taylor Keen by Liniers by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy by Phuoc Thi Minh Tran, illustrated by Dong Nguyen and Hop Thi Nguyen by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, May 6th when we’ll be discussing the genre/topic of Linguistics and Language! Then on Tuesday, June 3rd we’ll be discussing “Found Books,” that is books that we’ve found in public little free libraries, book exchanges, and book swaps.
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Episode 210 - Romantasy
04/01/2025
Episode 210 - Romantasy
It’s episode 210 and time for us to talk about the genre of Romantasy! We discuss romance series, happily ever afters, tropes, social media, and more! Plus, special guest romance fiction researcher Christine Larson! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by Stephanie Burgis, narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb by Sarah J. Maas by Hannah Nicole Maehrer by S. A. Chakraborty by Rachel Gillig by Rebecca Yarros by Garth Nix (not mentioned in episode) by Danielle L. Jensen (not mentioned in episode) by Jude Deveraux (not mentioned by name) Other Media We Mentioned by Christine Larson / by Orson Scott Card by Sarah J. Maas by Kristin Cashore by Brian Jacques by Laini Taylor by Holly Black by Lois McMaster Bujold by Rosemary Edgehill by Laurell K. Hamiton Links, Articles, and Things (Interview with Christine Larson) 15 Romantasy books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcast chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Shalini Abeysekara by Melissa Blair by Gabi Burton by Roshani Chokshi by Saara El-Arifi by Chloe Gong by Thea Guanzon by Jordan Ifueko by Angela Montoya by C.L. Polk by Analeigh Sbrana by Tasha Suri by Nisha J. Tuli by Maithree Wijesekara by Amélie Wen Zhao Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, April 15th for our Spring Media Update! We’ll let you know about the media we’ve been enjoying recently that we haven’t experienced for the podcast. Then on Tuesday, May 6th we’ll be discussing the genre/topic of Linguistics and Language!
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Episode 209 - Design
03/04/2025
Episode 209 - Design
It’s episode 209 and time for us to talk about the genre of Design! We discuss graphic design, interior design, the line between design and art, fonts, kerning, footnotes, and more! Plus: Anna talks about evidence synthesis and search design! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by Jennifer Dawe and Matthew Humphries by Carla Lind by Debbie Berne by Bree Wolf and Jesse Fuchs by Jude Stewart Other Media We Mentioned by Steven Heller and Gail Anderson by Christopher Herwig by Mark Lamster by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt Links, Articles, and Things (East German pedestrian walk signal) 16 Design Books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Christian Allaire by Meredith Broussard by Joy Buolamwini by Christina Chung by Maithili Dhule by Janice George, Leslie H. Tepper, and Willard Joseph by Josh A. Halstead, Leslie Xia, Farah Kafei, Kaleena Sales, Ellen Lupton, Valentina Vergara, and Jennifer Tobias by Kat Holmes by Margaret Chandra Kerrison by Hideo Kojima by Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant by Safiya Umoja Noble by Charlene Prempeh by Taku Satoh by Steenz and Samuel Sattin by Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, April 1st we’ll be talking about the genre of Romantasy! Then on Tuesday, April 15th it’s time for our Spring Media Update, as we talk about books and other things we haven’t read for the podcast.
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Episode 208 - 2025 Reading Resolutions
02/18/2025
Episode 208 - 2025 Reading Resolutions
It’s episode 208 and time for us to talk about our Reading Resolutions for 2025! We discuss our love of spreadsheets, the churn of books in public libraries, literacy, unschooling, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | 2025 Goals/Intentions/Etc. Jam Theme of the year: “Cultivation” Use Storygraph instead of Goodreads Maybe put a book on the nightstand so I’ll read it before bed Meghan Subscribe to print reading material Anna Track favourite reads of the year in the spreadsheet Try to figure out why she reads less fiction than she used to Matthew Read every book on fiction to-read list published before the year 2000 Record the “why” when adding books to TBR Other Media We Mentioned Jam’s episode isn’t out yet by Terry Hayes by Mariam Petrosyan, translated by Yuri Machkasov by Chris Claremont and others by John Waters Links, Articles, and Things (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia) 50 Recent Short Story Collections by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . For this list of short story collections, we’ve focused on titles published within the past four years. by ‘Pemi Aguda (2024) by Billy-Ray Belcourt (2024) by Shashi Bhat (2024) by Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur (2024) by Gina Chung (2024) by Elwin Cotman (2024) by Ananda Lima (2024) by Deepa Rajagopalan (2024) by Wole Talabi (2024) by Tony Tulathimutte (2024) by Uche Okonkwo (2024) by Alexandra Chang (2023) edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (2023) by Megan Kamalei Kakimoto (2023) by Premee Mohamed (2023) by Yvette Lisa Ndlovu (2023) by Tobi Ogundiran (2023) by Ben Okri (2023) by Suzan Palumbo (2023) edited by Jordan Peele (2023) by Cleo Qian (2023) edited by Nisi Shawl (2023) by SJ Sindu (2023) by Anuja Varghese (2023) by Lindsay Wong (2023) by Paul Yoon (2023) by Emily Zhou (2023) by K-Ming Chang (2022) by Jean Chen Ho (2022) by Arinze Ifeakandu (2022) by Meng Jin (2022) by Jamil Jan Kochai (2022) by Ling Ma (2022) by Janice Lynn Mather (2022) by Janelle Monae (2022) by Manuel Muñoz (2022) by Andrea Rogers (2022) by Morgan Talty (2022) by Saeed Teebi (2022) by Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, and Zelda Knight (2022) by Chelsea Vowel (2022) by Silmy Abdullah (2021) by Yoon Choi (2021) by Norma Dunning (2021) by Carribean Fragoza (2021) by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson (2021) by Brenda Peynado (2021) by Brontez Purnell (2021) by Anthony Veasna So (2021) by Isabel Yap (2021) Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, March 4th when we’ll be talking about the genre of Design! Then on Tuesday, April 1st we’ll be talking about the genre of Romantasy!
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Episode 207 - Monster Romance
02/04/2025
Episode 207 - Monster Romance
It’s episode 207 and time for us to talk about the genre of Monster Romance! We discuss what counts as a “monster,” massive hogs, Beautify and the Beast, listening to audiobooks at 3.5x speed, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by C.M. Nascosta by C.M. Nascosta by Evangeline Anderson, narrated by Ada Sinclair by Kimberly Lemming by Kimberly Lemming by Ann Aguirre by C.M. Nascosta by Ruby Dixon, narrated by Felicity Munroe and Hiro Diaz Other Media We Mentioned by Nova Wrytzwell (Wikipedia) by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus by Nalini Singh by Kimberly Lemming by Kimberly Lemming by Holly Wilde Links, Articles, and Things (Wikipedia) There are lots of other companies doing similar things (Wikipedia) 11 Monster Romance Books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Regine Abel l by Maeve Black by Zoey Castile by Jessica Cage by Aleera Anaya Ceres by Liz E. Cooper by Lexi Esme by Talia Greer by Kimberly Lemming by Viano Oniomoh by Cynthia Leitich Smith Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , join our , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, February 18th when we’ll be discussing our reading goals and resolutions for 2025! Then on Tuesday, March 4th we’ll be talking about the non-fiction genre of Design!
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Episode 206 - Cultural Studies
01/07/2025
Episode 206 - Cultural Studies
It’s episode 206 and time for us to talk about the genre of Cultural Studies! We discuss bureaucracy, affluenza, dinosaurs, Dungeons & Dragons, Batman, The Fast and the Furious, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Things We Read (or tried to…) by Neil Postman by David Graeber by Hannah McGregor by Thom James Carter by John De Graaf, David Wann, and Thomas Naylor by Mika Yoshimoto by Maggie Nelson edited by Tuck Woodstock and Niko Stratis Other Media We Mentioned by Susan Bordo by David Graeber by Maggie Nelson by Maggie Nelson Links, Articles, and Things 30 Cultural Studies by BIPOC Authors Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Hanif Abdurraqib by Jennifer Adese by Sara Ahmed by Gloria E. Anzaldúa by Homi K. Bhabha by Ta-Nehisi Coates by Karrmen Crey by Katherine Cross by Roderick A. Ferguson by Amin Ghaziani by Gayatri Gopinath by Ruby Hamad by Cathy Park Hong by Shayda Kafai by Cheuk Kwan by Lisa Lowe by Bianca Mabute-Louie by Heather McGhee by José Esteban Muñoz by Gregory Pierrot by Legacy Russell by Ziauddin Sardar by Brandon Shimoda by Niigaan Sinclair by Danyel Smith by C. Riley Snorton by Francesca Sobande by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson by Irvin Weathersby Jr. edited by Nadia G. Yaqub Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , follow us on , join our or , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, February 4th we’ll be talking about the genre of Monster Romance! Then on Tuesday, February 18th we’ll be discussing our reading goals and resolutions for 2025!
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Episode 205 - Favourite Reads (and Media) of 2024
12/17/2024
Episode 205 - Favourite Reads (and Media) of 2024
It’s episode 205 and time for us to talk about our favourite reads of 2024! We discuss fiction and non-fiction books we read for the podcast, plus comics, videos, music, and more! You can download the podcast , find it on , or get it through or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | | | Favourite Fiction For the podcast Anna by Mark Lawrence () Jam by T. Kingfisher () Matthew by Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt, Bill Crabtree, and Tyler Crook () Meghan by Leigh Bardugo () Not for the podcast Jam by Isaac Fellman Matthew by Jonathan L. Howard, narrated by Nicholas Guy Smith Meghan by Veronica Roth Anna by Casey McQuiston Favourite Non-Fiction For the podcast Matthew by Michael Molcher () Meghan by Arthur J. Ray () Anna by Valeria Luiselli () Jam by Yuta Yagi () Not for the podcast Meghan by Jennifer Potter Anna by Bradley Garrett Jam by Martinus Evans Matthew by Ibram X. Kendi Other Favourite Things of 2024 Anna Jam “” by Chappel Roan Matthew by Jenny Nicholson by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Lissa Treiman by Tetsuya Endo Matthew talked about this and Giant Days in Meghan (series: Small Takes) Runner-Ups Jam Books for the podcast by Travis Baldree () by Linda Holmes () by Hazel Jane Plante () Picture Books by Shinsuke Yoshitake by David LaRochelle Games (both board & Switch Edition) Movies/TV/Video Anna by Sarah Gailey () by Kimiko Tobimatsu and Keet Geniza () Matthew Comics (For series I’m linking to volume ones regardless of what volumes I read or how many I read this year.) by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson by Mike Johnson and Andres Guinaldo by Cliff Chiang by Daniel Warren Johnson by Ed Brubaker, Marcos Martin, and Muntsa Vicente by John Allison by Jason by Borja González by Christine Larsen by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips by Stephan Franck by Kimberly Wang by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips Manga (For series I’m linking to volume ones regardless of what volumes I read or how many I read this year.) by Hiro Kashiwaba by Yūki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue by Katsuhiro Otomo by Tsubasa Yamaguchi by Shintaro Kago by Sumiko Arai by Masakazu Ishiguro by Hilnama by Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki by Junji Ito, Hirokatsu Kihara, and Ichiro Nakayama by Susumu Higa by Ryoko Kui by Makihirochi by Hidenori Yamaji Books Fiction by Arkady Martine edited by Nisi Shawl by Andy Weir by Alex Grecian edited by John Miller by Cory Doctorow by Hailey Piper by X. Fang Non-Fiction by Jonathan Clements by Daxton Stewart by Anand Giridharadas by Pádraig Ó Méalóid by Benjamin Lorr Video Essays Meghan French by Marianne Brisebois (contemporary fiction) by Olivier Lussier (poetry, prose) by Dave Eggers (childrens, illustrated) Fiction by Hildur Knútsdóttir (horror, translated) by Travis Baldree (cosy fantasy, series) by Nghi Vo (supernatural) by Kaliane Bradley (time travel) by C.J. Tudor (horror, vampires) by Ali Hazelwood (supernatural romance) by Jay Kristoff (horror, series) by Hazel Jane Plante (contemporary) by Grace Curtis (scifi, western) by Ling Ling Huang (horror) by Mariam Petrosyan (weird, translated, series) by Terry Hayes (scifi, spy thriller) by Jillian Tamaki by Mariko Tamaki (graphic novel, new adult) Nonfiction by Joy Sullivan (poetry) (essays, memoir, Australian) by Daniel Coleman (essays, history, Canadian) Occult/Mysticism/New Age books by BIPOC Authors: Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found . by Carlos Castaneda by T. Susan Chang by Ingrid Rojas Contreras by Lilith Dorsey by Asha Frost by Gabriela Herstik by Alice Sparkly Kat by Keiko by Chaweon Koo by Shawn Leonard by Bri Luna by Chris Marmolejo by Lorraine Monteagut by Cristy C. Road by Valeria Ruelas by Miguel Ruiz by Jaya Saxena by Mya Spalter by Dossé-Via Trenou by Elissa Washuta by Yoshi Yoshitani Give us feedback! to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our , follow us on , join our or , or ! Join us again on Tuesday, January 7th we’ll be discussing the genre of Cultural Studies! Then on Tuesday, February 4th we’ll be talking about the genre of Monster Romance!
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