how to win the lottery: a book club podcast
Episodes
season nineteen theme and reading list
30 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
it’s a return to the best podcast format ever invented: the random card draw. we are exploring our sixth state and telling sufjan stevens to once ag...
sara levine interview (author of treasure island!!!, the hitch)
23 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
we talk to sara levine, author of treasure island!!! and the hitch, about pets, siblings, and her favorite notebooks. after joey promises her 100 c...
the hitch by sara levine
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
our final book in the sara levine module is the hitch, which is notable as it’s a new release (and one of the fastest publication-to-episode timeli...
treasure island!!! by sara levine
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
it’s time to talk about one of our favorite books, treasure island!!! by sara levine, and a plea to you, listener: go read this one. after shreds ...
short dark oracles by sara levine
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
our sara levine module kicks off with her short story collection, short dark oracles. after comparing ourselves to other media with animals making no...
season eighteen theme and reading list
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
it’s time for another season of the podcast, but before we head to another state module, we’re reading the work of sara levine. it’s our third a...
from hell by alan moore
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
we’re wrapping up our 1990s module with from hell by alan moore, more 1999 facts, and an answer to the question: how old are we, really? after tal...
the poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolver
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
our 1990s module continues with the poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolver, whose backstory informs her writing in a unique way. after joey shares s...
i love dick by chris kraus
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
our 1990s season continues with i love dick by chris kraus and a slew of 1997 facts, including lots of titanic talk. the big question, right off the...
the atlas by william t. vollmann
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
we’ve entered 1996 with the atlas by william t. vollmann, which has laid a curse upon our podcast. after an unprecedented preview of an upcoming m...
sabbath's theater by philip roth
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
the 1990s keeps on truckin’ as we advance into 1995 for sabbath’s theater by philip roth. after talking about patricia lockwood’s new book (wi...
notes of a crocodile by qiu miaojin
25 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
we’re talking about notes of a crocodile by qiu miaojin. first, though: 1994 facts and talk of the car that shreds will never buy. we discuss qiu ...
trainspotting by irvine welsh
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
we enter into 1993 with trainspotting by irvine welsh, which released on january 1. (whew, we just snuck in there!) after shreds fails to surface an...
all the pretty horses by cormac mccarthy
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
our 1990s module continues with all the pretty horses by cormac mccarthy, marking a rapid return to his writing after covering blood meridian earl...
mao ii by don delillo
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
we’ve progressed into 1991 to talk about mao ii by don delillo, and joey has finally done his due diligence and brought some 90s facts. we start t...
vineland by thomas pynchon
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
our 1990s module kicks off with vineland by thomas pynchon and an existential dilemma: are we starting off this module with a lie? after talking abo...
season seventeen theme and reading list
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
it’s time to unveil our next full-length module, which comes as a surprise to joey, too: we’re heading back to the 1990s. after shreds reveils the...
the demon by hubert selby, jr.
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
the second book in our second great american novel module is the demon by hubert selby, jr. does it pair well with the sound and the fury? that’s...
the sound and the fury by william faulkner
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
our second great american novel module kicks off with the sound and the fury by william faulkner. joey explains his difficulties with parsing the te...
season sixteen theme and reading list
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
we’re back to find out what will be in store in our next great american novel module. also, we wonder: could we run out? does shreds enjoy reading? ...
danielle chelosky interview (author of cheat, show me your face, pregaming grief, baby bruise, female loneliness epidemic)
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
after covering her work for the past several episodes, we talked to danielle chelosky. we asked about fiction vs. nonfiction (specifically with regard...
baby bruise and female loneliness epidemic by danielle chelosky
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
it’s another double dip of danielle chelosky’s writing this episode, as we cover baby bruise and female loneliness epidemic. after lamenting w...
pregaming grief by danielle chelosky
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
our danielle chelosky module continues with pregaming grief, her first published piece of long-form writing. we talk about its ties to cheat, whethe...
cheat and show me your face by danielle chelosky
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
our danielle chelosky module kicks off with a pair of chapbooks that she self-published: cheat and show me your face. (it’s our first-ever “two...
season fifteen theme and reading list
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
we’ve done it. we’ve closed the big account, ghostbusters-style, and landed another author focus module. this time, we’re talking about the work...
ohio by stephen markley
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
we’re closing out our ohio module with ohio by stephen markley, who honored us by naming this book after our module. we talk about the impact of t...
outside in by doug cooper
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
our ohio module continues with outside in by doug cooper and some “ohio facts” (island facts?) about the town of put-in-bay. after learning abou...
omensetter's luck by william gass
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
our ohio module keeps on truckin’ with both a pop quiz about the state and a discussion of omensetter’s luck by william gass. we talk about the ...
the bluest eye by toni morrison
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
our ohio module kicks off with a known quantity: the undeniably great debut novel from toni morrison, the bluest eye. after briefly reflecting on the...
season fourteen theme and reading list
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
it’s time for another card drawing on lottery pod, and even though we don’t say it in this episode: suck shit, sufjan stevens. after we struggle t...
open water by caleb azumah nelson
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
we’re closing out our second-person module with one of our strongest books yet: open water by caleb azumah nelson. after talking about the pitt (a...
a man asleep by georges perec
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
our penultimate book in the “you” module is a man asleep by georges perec, which is a return to form as it’s once again french as hell. we tal...
the night circus by erin morgenstern
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
our “you” module is winding down, so it feels like the perfect time to cover a book that shouldn’t be in the module at all: the night circus b...
the diver's clothes lie empty by vendela vida
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
shreds continues to physically fall apart on our latest episode as we talk about the diver’s clothes lie empty by vendela vida. joey rejoices as w...
how like a god by rex stout
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
our episode about how like a god by rex stout starts with joey immediately killing one of shreds’ bits, setting a vibe. after talking about dave “...
the malady of death by marguerite duras
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
the malady of death by marguerite duras is likely the shortest text we’ve covered on the main feed so far. like suicide last week, it’s also euro...
suicide by édouard levé
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
the next book in our second-person module is suicide by édouard levé, which kicks off a mini-module of shorter writing that is also european as he...
bright lights, big city by jay mcinerney
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
welcome back to the penn badgley module. today’s episode is the most “normal” book we’ve read in a while: bright lights, big city by jay mci...
if on a winter's night a traveler by italo calvino
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
our next second-person novel is if on a winter’s night a traveler by italo calvino, which features an all-time great first chapter. before we talk...
season thirteen theme and reading list
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
it’s time for another season of lottery pod, and today’s theme reveal is news to everyone, including joey. (well, not everyone. shreds knows. he m...
blake butler interview (author of 300,000,000, aannex, void corporation, uxa.gov)
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
after covering four of his novels — 300,000,000, aannex, void corporation, and uxa.gov — we talk to blake butler about his work. note: there ...
uxa.gov by blake butler
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
the final book in our blake butler module is uxa.gov, which may be his hardest-to-understand book we’ve covered. we talk about why we thought it wo...
void corporation by blake butler
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
our blake butler module continues with a slight swerve and schedule pivot as we discuss void corporation (formerly titled alice knott). we talk abo...
aannex by blake butler
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
our blake butler module continues with aannex, which apocalypse party describes as “a post-joycean neo-slipstream sci-fi cult dream encyclopedia co...
300,000,000 by blake butler
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we’re kicking off our blake butler module with 300,000,000: a novel that proves there’s still room to push the medium forward. we discuss whether...
season twelve theme and reading list
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we’re dropping another surprise module on you (and on us) with a new format: a deep dive into the work of blake butler. we talk about how the module...
moby dick by herman melville
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
the time has come for us to cover our first great american novel, moby dick by herman melville, which by definition makes it our greatest american n...
season eleven theme and reading list
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we're adding in a brand new type of module here on lotto pod as we continue to get conceptually more difficult. welcome to the first installment of th...
flee by evan dara
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we’re closing out our vermont module with flee by evan dara along with everyone’s favorite segment: vermont facts. we talk about the proverbial ...
radio free vermont by bill mckibben
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
our vemont module (and shreds’s maple syrup challenge) continues with radio free vermont by bill mckibben. before we talk about the book, joey qui...
the shame by makenna goodman
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we’re kicking off the vermont module in proper with the shame by makenna goodman. does this novel feel like vermont? we discuss. first, though, we...
season ten theme and reading list
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we’re once again embracing our lottery and gambling spirit with the tenth season of the pod. we’ve doubled up sufjan stevens with this one. after ...
drive your plow over the bones of the dead by olga tokarczuk
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we wrap up our eco module (perhaps our most depressing module yet?) with drive your plow over the bones of the dead by olga tokarczuk. we talk about...
stephen markley interview (author of the deluge)
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we covered stephen markley’s novel the deluge last week, and today we’re joined by him to talk about his work. after confirming that we have a m...
the deluge by stephen markley
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we’re winding down our eco module with the deluge by stephen markley: one of our longest books on the pod and arguably our most depressing. we dis...
the man with the compound eyes by wu ming-yi
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
the eco module is starting to wind down, but it’s not done yet! today we’re talking about the man with the compound eyes by wu ming-yi. after ch...
jeff wood interview (author of the glacier)
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
jeff wood, author of the glacier (which we covered last week), joins the pod to talk about whether or not this book does, in fact, fit into our eco ...
the glacier by jeff wood
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
it’s back-to-back books from two dollar radio in the eco module as today’s book is the glacier by jeff wood. after shreds eviscerates joey to be...
fever dream by samanta schweblin
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
our eco module continues with another water-related catastrophe as we discuss fever dream by samanta schweblin. after realizing that we missed an an...
deb olin unferth interview (author of barn 8)
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
after talking about her novel barn 8 last week, we spoke with deb olin unferth about heist stories, teaching literature, and chickens. after deb dub...
barn 8 by deb olin unferth
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
our eco module continues with barn 8 by deb olin unferth as we shift our focus from trees and water toward animal rights. shreds starts the pod like...
something new under the sun by alexandra kleeman
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
something new under the sun by alexandra kleeman is the next book up in our eco module, and it continues our run of bleak looks at our near-future. w...
the overstory by richard powers
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
our eco module continues with the overstory by richard powers, which marks an early high point in the season as it’s one of our favorite books of ...
land of milk and honey by c. pam zhang
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we’re kicking off our eco module with land of milk and honey by c. pam zhang — as well as some steve harvey talk. we ask: is this book a bummer? a...
season nine theme and reading list
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we’ve turned nine (seasons) old, and we’re celebrating by looking up what the ninth anniversary gifts are. (they are weird.) we then explore the n...
david connerley nahm interview (author of ancient oceans of central kentucky)
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
before closing out our kentucky module, we had the pleasure of speaking with david connerley nahm, author of last week’s book, ancient oceans of ce...
ancient oceans of central kentucky by david connerley nahm
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
our kentucky module continues with ancient oceans of central kentucky by david connerley nahm as well as, you guessed it: more kentucky facts. first...
the vine that ate the south by j.d. wilkes
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
you just heard an episode last week, but we’re back with our first episode in months (our time): the vine that ate the south by j.d. wilkes. we ca...
season eight theme and reading list
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we're once again embracing our lottery and gambling spirit with the eighth season of the pod. we've passed sufjan stevens with this one. the most exci...
ragnarok by walter simonson
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
our graphic content module draws to a close with ragnarok by walter simonson. fantasy content is tough for us, which isn’t particularly fair to th...
prison pit by johnny ryan
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
our graphic content module truly lives up to its name (for the first time) as we talk about prison pit by johnny ryan. we talk about whether or not ...
kingdom come by mark waid, alex ross
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we’re finally entering the realm of the superhero in our graphic content module with kingdom come by mark waid and alex ross. shreds explains why ...
asterios polyp by david mazzucchelli
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
the next stop in our graphic content module is asterios polyp by david mazzucchelli. after discussing how this module being defined by medium (rathe...
this one summer by mariko tamaki, jillian tamaki
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
we’re tackling our first young adult book this module as we’re covering this one summer by mariko tamaki and jillian tamaki. after talking about...
bitter root by david f. walker, chuck brown, sanford greene
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
we’re headed to 1920s harlem on this episode of lottery pod as we talk about bitter root by david f. walker, chuck brown, and sanford greene. (a f...
ann nocenti interview (author of the seeds)
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
after covering the seeds last week, we are joined by ann nocenti, the book’s author, to talk about hexagons, fake news, and andrei tarkovsky. ann ...
the seeds by ann nocenti, david aja
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our graphic content module continues with the seeds by ann nocenti and david aja and a return to familiar subject matter. first, though, we talk abo...
no longer human by junji ito
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our graphic content season continues with no longer human by junji ito, which marks our first foray into manga. we explore the medium (including our...
marcos martin interview (illustrator of the private eye)
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
after covering the private eye last week, our first interview this season comes with the book’s illustrator, marcos martin, as we continue to figu...
the private eye by brian k. vaughan, marcos martin, muntsa vicente
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our graphic content module continues with the private eye by brian k. vaughan, marcos martin, muntsa vicente, which looks like a “more traditional...
gender queer by maia kobabe
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
it’s a surprise bonus episode in our graphic content module as we cover gender queer by maia kobabe, one of the most banned/challenged books this ...
coyote doggirl by lisa hanawalt
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our graphic content module kicks off in earnest with coyote doggirl by lisa hanawalt. after shreds shares a bone he has to pick with joey, we explor...
understanding comics by scott mccloud + season seven theme and reading list
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
we’re kicking off our seventh module with two firsts for the pod: a guest (heather antos) and discussing a book in the intro episode (understanding ...
sunburn by laura lippman
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
we are closing out our delaware mini-module with sunburn by laura lippman, along with even more delaware facts. first, though, we sort through a meage...
the book of unknown americans by cristina henríquez
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our delaware module “keeps on truckin'” (this is a delaware phrase) as we read the book of unknown americans by cristina henríquez. joey shares...
fight club by chuck palahniuk
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our delaware module (suck shit, sufjan stevens #2) gets off to a questionable start, geographically speaking, with fight club by chuck palahniuk. jo...
season six theme and reading list
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
we’re once again embracing our lottery and gambling spirit with the sixth season of the pod. (if you don’t want to have the theme spoiled, just li...
infinite jest by david foster wallace
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our un/adaptable season draws to a close with infinite jest by david foster wallace. shreds is back, and he’s got a story to tell. we discuss the ...
nightbitch by rachel yoder
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our final novel this module with an upcoming adaptation is nightbitch by rachel yoder, which breaks new ground for the podcast, as former host bobby...
crying in h mart by michelle zauner
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our un/adaptable module continues with crying in h mart by michelle zauner, which also marks our first foray into nonfiction. joey is joined once ag...
the raw shark texts by steven hall
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
the next stop on our un/adaptable module is continues with the raw shark texts by steven hall. joey is joined by a guy named gary, who arrives with ...
project hail mary by andy weir
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our un/adaptable module continues with project hail mary by andy weir, soon to be a major motion picture from lord/miller starring ryan gosling. (if...
blood and guts in high school by kathy acker
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our un/adaptable module continues with blood and guts in high school by kathy acker, which is difficult to adapt for many reasons. joey kicks things...
memory by donald e. westlake
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our un/adaptable module continues with memory by donald e. westlake, which is being adapted by duke johnson. part of the “hard case crime” serie...
speedboat by renata adler
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our un/adaptable module continues with speedboat by renata adler, which may be our first truly unadaptable novel this season; we discuss why that’...
underworld by don delillo
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
don delillo returns to the podcast (via the written word) as we continue our un/adaptable module with underworld. in spite of us kicking off the “u...
the zone of interest by martin amis
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
we head back in time to kick off our un/adaptable module with the zone of interest by martin amis. first, though, we stop for a pre-emptive fantasy ba...
season five theme and reading list
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
after our briefest module yet, we’re back to unveil the theme and reading list for our next batch of books. before that, though, we plan for either ...
a confederacy of dunces by john kennedy toole
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our louisiana module comes to a close with its third and final book: a confederacy of dunces by john kennedy toole. before we discuss the book, we lea...
all the king's men by robert penn warren
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
our “suck shit, sufjan stevens” module (#1) continues as we stay in the sticky, humid louisiana weather for all the king’s men by robert penn ...