Book Club for Masochists: a Readers' Advisory Podcast
Episodes
Episode 126 - Did Not Finish
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing the dreaded Did Not Finish! We talk about why we don't finish books, specific titles we didn't finish, why not finishing...
Episode 125 - Literary Theory & Literary Criticism
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about Literary Theory & Literary Criticism! We discuss what literature even is, books we haven't read, preconceived notions...
Episode 124 - Media (and Noodles) We've Recently Enjoyed
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing Media (and Noodles) We've Recently Enjoyed! We talk about spicy noodles, which Dakota is our least favourite state, fict...
Episode 123 - Psychological Horror
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about Psychological Horror! We discuss gore, people being weenies, books with running in them, kiwi fruit, checking the und...
Episode 122 - Bad Book Reading Habits
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's our 5th anniversary episode and this time we're discussing Bad Book Reading Habits! Sticky notes, bookmarks, tagging and tracking, borrowing more...
Episode 121 - Biology
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about Biology Non-Fiction! We discuss epidemiology, genetics, microbes, kissing, sex, and more! Plus: using physical bookma...
Episode 120 - The Design and Art of Books!
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing what makes a good book cover: The Design and Art of Books! We talk about physically icky feeling books, hidden messages ...
Episode 119 - Regency Romance
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we're talking about Regency Romance! We discuss dukes, sex, the ton, misunderstandings, feelings, and (of course) Br...
Episode 118 - Reading Resolutions and Intentions for 2021
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about Our Reading Resolutions and Intentions for 2021! We discuss failing our reading resolutions from 2020, reading in a p...
Episode 117 - Sociology Non-Fiction
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're reading Sociology Non-Fiction! We discuss the differences between sociology and psychology, what Karl Marx and Aziz Ansari have in ...
Episode 116 - Best Books We Read in 2020
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about the Best Books We Read in 2020! (Not necessarily things that came out in 2020, but there are some of those too!) We d...
Episode 115 - New Weird
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about New Weird Fiction! Strap in, because we spend a lot of time discussing what this genre even is (or if it exists at al...
Episode 114 - Hot Cocoa & Book Recommendations
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're Receiving Book Recommendations! Last episode we asked each other for books in specific areas and this week we're back with our sugg...
Episode 113 - Seeking Book Recommendations
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're Seeking Book Recommendations! We've each picked some topics and we're going to perform Readers' Advisory interviews to help figure ...
Episode 112 - Business Non-Fiction
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing Business Non-Fiction! We talk about personality quizzes, questioning capitalism, fighting against productivity/the produ...
Episode 111 - Happy Birthday Dracula
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's Halloween! And in this very special episode we're playing the game Happy Birthday Dracula! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Lib...
Episode 110 - Comedic/Humorous Fiction
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing Comedic/Humorous Fiction! We discuss what makes something funny, the different types of humour fiction, when you can't...
Episode 109 - Recent Media We've Enjoyed
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're giving you an update on the media we've been enjoying not for the podcast! We talk about music, books, podcasts, comics, videos, mo...
Episode 108 - Visual Novels
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing Visual Novels! We talk about what visual novels are, whether they count as books, reading novels we're much too young fo...
Episode 107 - Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we talk about Pet by Akwaeke Emezi! There are lots of spoilers, plus discussions of ambiguity, language and communication, names, family,...
Episode 106 - Alternative/Alternate History
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing Alternative/Alternate History! We talk about realism and magic, how long ago is history, tropes and when they're good, w...
Episode 105 - Summer Reading and Challenges
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing Summer Reading and Challenges! We talk about summer reading programs, struggling with reading during a pandemic, why we'...
Episode 104 - Entertainment Non-Fiction
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing Entertainment Non-Fiction! We talk about what does (and doesn't) count as entertainment, how we're bad at watching TV, w...
Episode 103 - Battle of the Books 2020
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Battle of the Books 2020! It's the one time a year that we all read the same book! We each pitch a title and our listeners vote and decide on which it...
Episode 102 - Literary Fiction
02 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing Literary Fiction! We talk about books that win awards, writing as art, reading books because other people think they're ...
Episode 101 - Comfort Reads
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about Comfort Reads! We discuss what makes something a comfort read, re-reading books, Animal Crossing, nostalgia, horror m...
Episode 100 - Library and Information Studies
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing non-fiction Library and Information Studies books! We talk about how useful we find webinars, reading things for our job...
Episode 099 - Books and Stuff
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're talking about Books and Stuff! Yes, it's time for one of our occasional "media we actually enjoyed" episodes. We talk about baking, sentient sui...
Episode 098 - Historical Fiction
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about Historical Fiction! We discuss how far in the past something has to be before it counts as historical fiction, whethe...
Episode 097 - Objectifying Books
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about Objectifying Books! We discuss how books make the places we live feel like homes, how and when we give away books, pa...
Episode 096 - Climate Change / Climate Crisis
03 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we're talking about Climate Change and Climate Crisis Non-Fiction! We talk about being depressed, capitalism, actions individuals can ...
Episode 095 - Ratings, Reviews, and Tags
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing Ratings, Reviews, and Tags! We talk about subject headings, our most used tags, malicious metadata, how we use star-base...
Episode 094 - Chick Lit Romance
04 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This month we're reading the genre of Chick Lit Romance. Does it exist and if so, what should it be called? Plus: The poor portrayal of library jobs i...
Episode 093 - 2020 Reading Resolutions and Intentions
21 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about our 2020 Reading Resolutions and Intentions! We discuss how we are bad at reading resolutions, loot boxes filled with...
Episode 092 - Arts (Non-Fiction)
07 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This month we're discussing the non-fiction genre of Arts! We discuss "capital-A" art, creating, consuming, and destroying art, library hold-list hack...
Episode 091 - Best of 2019
17 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's our Best of 2019 episode! Of course, these are not necessarily the best things published in 2019, but instead the best things we read for the pod...
Episode 090 - Adventure Fiction
03 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This month we're discussing Adventure Fiction! We talk about bears (and bear fighting), spies, secret tunnels, robots, survival, thrillers, male roman...
Episode 089 - Other People's Faves (that we do not like)
19 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we're talking about Other People's Faves (that we do not like)! Yes, it's time for our hot takes and unpopular opinions! We discuss al...
Episode 088 - Psychology
05 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This month we're discussing Psychology! We discuss psychedelics, rodent-based experiments, citations and footnotes, and books that turn out to be not ...
The Midnight Library: Episode 001 - Halloween Poetry
31 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Good evening, and welcome to The Midnight Library! Please enjoy this special spooky bonus poetry episode, just in time for Halloween! Featuring Matt...
Episode 087 - Suspending Your Disbelief
15 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing the topics of Suspending Your Disbelief and Trick or Treaters' Advisory (e.g. Halloween costumes)! We discuss how we rea...
Episode 086 - American Gothic
01 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This month we're discussing American Gothic! We discuss old creepy houses, weird families, cultural context, potential supernatural, the sense of unea...
Episode 085 - Recent Media We've Experienced and Enjoyed
17 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing recent media we've experienced and enjoyed. We talk Muppets, French pop music, anarchist witches, and in-depth analyses ...
Episode 084 - Political Non-Fiction
03 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing Political Non-Fiction! We talk about the design of American political books, anarchism, accessing abortion, parliamentar...
Episode 083 - The Fifth Season
20 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This month we're reading The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin! In this episode there are lots of spoilers! We discuss whether or not we enjoy maps in book...
Episode 082b - Bonus *Punk Fiction Spreadsheet Discussion
13 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this extra special bonus episode Matthew and Anna talk about a spreadsheet for forty minutes. Seriously! They go through all of the *punk subgenres...
Episode 082 - Steampunk
06 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This month we're reading Steampunk! We talk about the history of the genre, umbrella fights, boring white men, colonialization, graphic novel adaptati...
Episode 081 - New and Upcoming Books We're Excited About
16 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about the American Library Association's annual conference and New and Upcoming Books We're Excited About! We discuss LGBTQ...
Episode 080 - True Crime
02 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This month our genre is True Crime! We discuss bird thieves, rich people, caring more about the stories around the crimes than the crimes themselves, ...
Episode 079 - Which Book Should We Read?
18 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This month we're discussing Which Book Should We Read? Once a year we pick one title that we all read and discuss. This year we each suggest one title...
Episode 078 - Supernatural Thrillers
04 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This month our genre is Supernatural Thrillers! We discuss grand dogs, fairies stealing children, Abbott and Costello Meet the Eldritch Abominations, ...
Episode 077 - Books That Changed Our Lives / Books That Haunt Us
21 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we talk about Books That Changed Our Lives and Books That Haunt Us. We talk about comics, cooking, problematic faves, what caused us to s...
Episode 076 - Fairy Tales, Fables, Legends, Myths, and Folklore
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This month we're reading Fairy Tales, Fables, Legends, Myths, and Folklore. We talk about the internet, oral stories, where to start reading superhero...
Episode 075 - Recent Faves
16 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's our 75th episode! and we discuss some of our Recent Favourites. We talk about magic in outer space, fiction about dating animals, underground civ...
Episode 074 - Short Story Collections
02 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're reading Short Story Collections! We talk about the differences between collections and anthologies, when a short story is too long,...
Episode 073 - Reading Habits
19 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's our 73rd episode and we're talking about Reading Habits! We discuss reader robes, the worst things we've spilled on books, getting motion sick wh...
Episode 072 - Occult/Mysticism/New Age/Esoteric/Magic(k) Non-Fiction
05 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing Occult/Mysticism/New Age/Esoteric/Magic(k) Non-Fiction! We discuss youthful tarot experimentation, cultural appropriatio...
Episode 071 - Canadian Content
19 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about Canadian Content! We discuss books by indigenous authors, French Canadian literature, the immigrant experience, what ...
Episode 070 - Erotic Romance
05 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for Valentine's Day we're reading Erotic Romance! We discuss how to talk about erotica without getting too personally revealing, the phys...
Episode 069 - Bizarro Fiction
15 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about Bizarro Fiction! We discuss body horror, transgression, kaiju butts, dildo salesmen, and more! Plus: Books that make ...
Episode 068 - Best of 2018
02 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's our Best of 2018 episode! Of course, these are not necessarily the best things published in 2018, but instead the best things we read for the pod...
Episode 067 - Nature/Outdoors Nonfiction
18 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about Nature/Outdoors Non-Fiction! We discuss armchair travelling, whether olden days explorers were idiots, manliness, and...
Episode 066 - Tabletop Games
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about Tabletop Games (including board games, card games, and role playing games)! But first we spend six minutes talking ab...
Episode 065 - Political Thrillers
20 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: Political Thrillers, are they even real? At the very least we think they're terrible! Plus: Weird politics, macho men being manly, d...
Episode 064 - Video Games
06 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we talk video games! We discuss taxonomies of birds, when is a game not a game, defining soup and sandwich, and the gamification of every...
Episode 063 - Cheap eBooks
16 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our "genre" this month was Cheap eBooks! We talk about satire, mysteries, the appeal of short fiction, and queer Christmas romances! You can download ...
Episode 062 - French and Dinosaurs and Beetles and Cereal
02 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It's one of our irregular "other media" episodes! This time we talk about French language books, dinosaurs, beetles, breakfast cereal, children's book...
Episode 061 - Romance Fiction
18 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This month we read Romance Fiction! We talk about "interpersonal attraction", fake fan fiction, imagining the leads of romance novels look like David ...
Episode 060 - Travel Reading
04 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about Travel Reading! What do we read when we travel? How do we pick which books to bring? Which fictional places would we ...
Episode 059 - Food and Cooking
21 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're discussing Non-Fiction Food and Cooking books! We talk about the mystery of electric kettles, bodybuilding expertise, and fear of t...
Episode 058 - The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
07 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This month we all read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente as though we were a real book club!...
Episode 057 - Nordic/Scandinavian Noir
17 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This month our genre is Nordic/Scandinavian Noir! There's coldness and darkness in fiction, blood on snow, screaming children, and we ask (and answer)...
Episode 056 - Upcoming Books and the American Library Association Annual Conference 2018
03 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we discuss the American Library Association Annual Conference and the many galleys we got there! We talk about wrestling, ballet, leeches...
Episode 055 - Military Non-Fiction
19 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This month our genre is Military Non-Fiction! We talk about defining war, sword fighting, genocide, and conscription. Plus: Trebuchets! You can downlo...
Episode 054 - How We Ended Up Working in Libraries
05 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're talking about how we ended up working in libraries, literary inspirations for our careers, and what you should think about before y...
Episode 053 - Comedic Science Fiction & Fantasy
15 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our genre this episode is Comedic Science Fiction & Fantasy. We talk about anachronisms, comedy in sci fi/fantasy and sci fi/fantasy in comedy, "laugh...
Episode 052 - Separating the Art from the Artist
01 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A potentially controversial episode as we discuss Separating the Art from the Artist. We bring up #MeToo, library neutrality, problematic faves, and f...
Episode 051 - Essay Collections
17 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this 80 minute episode we talk about Essay Collections! We get into some deep topics this time, talking about precarity, race relations, and cultur...
Episode 050 - Two year Anniversary - Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered!
03 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our Fiftieth Episode Extravaganza is our longest episode ever! We answer your questions! We answer our questions! We talk about library fines, reading...
Episode 049 - Southern Gothic
20 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we discuss the genre of Southern Gothic! We talk about the "key elements" of Southern Gothic fiction (plantations, swamps, secrets, and r...
Episode 048 - What We've Been Reading Recently
06 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we catch you up on what books and comics we've been reading and shows we've been watching. We discuss guitar-playing ghost talkers, being...
Episode 047b - Terrible Stories by Matthew (you have been warned)
27 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In last week's episode (Episode 047 - Creative Writing/Books About Writing) Matthew threatened to read some of the fiction he'd written for exercises ...
Episode 047 - Creative Writing/Books About Writing
20 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This month our genre is Creative Writing/Books About Writing! With real, live, award-winning authors! (Well, one anyway.) We discuss our own experienc...
Episode 046 - 2018 Reading Resolutions
06 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we look back on our Reading Resolutions from last year and discuss our plans for reading in 2018! You can download the podcast directly,...
Episode 045 - Family Sagas
16 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we're reading Family Sagas! Do they have to be incredibly long? Do they have to be boring? Plus: We talk about diversity, reading books ...
Episode 044 - Best Books of 2017
02 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for our Best of 2017 episode! We'll talk about our favourite things we read for the podcast, our favourite things we read that weren't for t...
Episode 043 - Page to Screen (Books turned into movies and TV shows)
19 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we chat about what happens when books go from page to screen in Adaptations! In the process we argue about lots of stuff (as usual) an...
Episode 042 - Childhood Favourites
05 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We're going back in time this episode as we talk about our Childhood Favourites! (Or childhood favorites for the Americans.) We talk about problematic...
Episode 041 - Dystopian Fiction
21 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode, Dystopian Fiction! And some of us are considerably more excited about it than others. We talk about the difference between oppressive an...
Episode 040 - Precipitation in Video Games
07 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this weirdly chill episode, we talk about memoirs and track cycling and magical fantasy and female relationships and six-legged octopuses. Plus: Th...
Episode 039 - Non-Fiction Travel
17 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Pack your bags, because it's time for our episode about non-fiction Travel books! We talk about haunted libraries, North Korea, Komodo dragons, and li...
Episode 038 - Halloween!
03 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
It's October which means it's time for our Halloween episode! We talk about our favourite spooooooky movies, books, comics, video games, and more! Plu...
Episode 037 - Experimental Fiction
19 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we talk about Experimental Fiction and stumble all over our words and can't pronounce anything right. We explore experimental comics, won...
Episode 036 - Favourite Podcasts
05 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we talk about our favourite podcasts! Weightlifting, comics, poetry, wrestling, books, and more! Plus: Tales of living in the woods in Al...
Episode 035 - Gardening (and plants!)
15 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Gardens! Plants! Growing things! Can we do it? Probably not! But we read books about it anyway. We talk about houseplants we've killed, the appeal of ...
Episode 034 - Reading Resolutions
01 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We give an update on how our reading resolutions for the year are going, talk about recent reads (and watches) we've enjoyed, and briefly discuss San ...
Episode 033 - Legal Thrillers
18 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we talk about Legal Thrillers! We discuss how much time lawyers should spend in the courtroom, if we'd prefer to read about a lawyer or a...
Episode 032.5 - BookExpo America and the American Library Association Annual Conference
11 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Time for a special bonus episode (which apparently happen every sixteen episodes?) where we talk all about what we did at BookExpo America and the Ame...
Episode 032 - Reading Fatigue and Reading Slumps
04 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this 40 minute (short!) episode we try to define reading slumps and reading fatigue, talk about reading as a job, extol the wonders and magic of gi...
Episode 031 - LGBTQ+/QUILTBAG Non-Fiction
20 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for LGBT Pride Month, this episode has us discussing LGBTQ+/QUILTBAG Non-Fiction books! We talk about queer Canadians, own voices, the im...