Shoulda Books
Episodes
Rainie Toll finds the link between The Giver and The Catcher in the Rye
28 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rainie Toll explains why "The Giver" and "The Catcher in the Rye" are more similar than you might think. We also talk about mushrooms, OCD, John Green...
22. talking about God with Jimmy Wong
21 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jimmy Wong (Game Knights, the Command Zone, Try Guys, Video Game High School) shares the 3 books he thinks you should read. We end up discussing how h...
PATREON UNLOCK: "The Outsiders" film is mid (w/ Cailyn Hoertz)
14 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Enjoy this bonus episode from the Shoulda Books Patreon. Every month, we compare a film to the book it was adapted from. Sign up today to unlock more ...
21. Annie Rauwerda (Depths of Wikipedia) loves The Power Broker (and MORE)
07 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Annie Rauwerda, the mind behind one of my favorite Instagram accounts (Depths of Wikipedia, go check it out) joins me to share way more than 3 books y...
20. "Never Let Me Go" is frustrating...but is that the point?
30 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
I unpack Kazuo Ishiguro's 2005 classic "Never Let Me Go". I dive into some of the questions that philosophers have asked for millennia, vent some o...
19. too much trauma dumping? ("I'm Glad My Mom Died" + MORE)
23 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen LaConte is the managing editor of Clickhole and the author of the advice column Stephen, Please. He's also the boyfriend of hyper-realistic ca...
18. these books can help you find meaning ("When Breath Becomes Air") + MORE)
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Bakas (editor, The Try Guys) returns to discuss 3 books that helped him find meaning in a cold, indifferent universe. follow Sam on YouTube: ht...
17. did "Left Behind" traumatize you, too?
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Left Behind series traumatized me as a tween, and I know I'm not the only one. Join me for a loose, rambling episode exploring this cursed series ...
16. your friends are right about The Artist's Way
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Merle Shane O'Neal shares 2 books that mean a great deal to me, and one that I know absolutely nothing about. So it goes. follow Merle on Instagram...
15 - "The Outsiders" launched the YA genre
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
this week, we're rumbling through S.E. Hinton's 1967 classic The Outsiders, the book that apparently taught the publishing industry that teenagers rea...
14. do you really want to live forever? (Ash Perez on "Tuck Everlasting" + MORE)
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ash Perez discusses 3 books that bring together comedy and heartbreak, and that balance nostalgia with hope for the future. pre-order Ash's delight...
13. showing generosity to your characters (w/ Andrew Martin)
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Author Andrew Martin shares the three books he thinks everyone should read. His fantastic new novel Down Time is available everywhere now, via Farrar,...
12. the interior made exterior w/ Scott Broker (author of "The Disappointment")
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Broker, whose excellent new novel The Disappointment is out now, stops by to talk James Baldwin, Greek myths, desire, grief, and more. chec...
11. getting too h*rny at Thoreau camp (w/ Jonny Cakes)
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The inimitable Jonny Cakes talks about 3 books and whatnot, sure, but MOST IMPORTANTLY he reads his diary from a Walden-style English class/camp. And,...
10. is Jane Eyre the original rom-com?
28 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
I hold down the fort on my lonesome this month to talk through a classic that I ended up enjoying much more than I thought I would. JUSTICE FOR BERTHA...
9. why do some (GOOD) ideas not stick? ("There Is No Antimemetics Division" + more)
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Emilie Friedlander (writer and co-host of The Culture Journalist podcast) shares 3 books that shaped her thinking on music, culture, and, well, THINKI...
8. what makes a book "fun"? (Cloud Atlas + more)
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Will Witwer shares 3 books that have me questioning just what HE means when he says a book is "fun" follow Will on Instagram: https://www.instagram...
BONUS - "Wuthering Heights" (2026) is NOT an adaptation (PATREON PREVIEW)
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
at least the scenery looked nice (at times). Joyce Louis-Jean stops by to discuss the absolute trainwreck that is Emerald Fennell's "Wuthering Heights...
7. channel your anger with these books (The Art of War + more)
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
MJ Smith shares 3 books that helped her deal with rage. Just don't ever call a Cheeto a chip in front of her. follow MJ on Instagram: https://www.i...
6. these nonfiction books will make you cry ("Tuesdays with Morrie" + MORE)
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jack McGill (The Try Guys) shares 3 nonfiction books that might just make you rethink everything. follow Jack on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com...
5. we're kind of IN "The House of the Spirits"
31 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
I sit down with editor and YouTuber Sam Bakas to discuss a book that could NOT be more relevant to today…Isabel Allende's "The House of the Spirits"...
4. choosing better stories (w/ Tori Dunlap | Her First $100K)
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tori Dunlap (founder and CEO of Her First 100k) shares 3 books that shaped her thinking on love, loss, and the meaning of life. follow Her First $1...
3. nerding out on trees, media theory, and John Steinbeck (w/ Thomas Flight)
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
YouTube film essayist Thomas Flight shares 3 books that changed the way he sees the world. follow Thomas on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thoma...
2. it's all about the yearning (w/ Cailyn Hoertz)
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Cailyn Hoertz (The Try Guys) shares 3 books that cover Greek mythology, hangover mac & cheese, a love triangle where it's impossible to choose sides, ...
1. read these books to stay more present (w/ Miles Bonsignore)
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Miles Bonsignore joins me for the first weekly episode of Shoulda Books to share the three books he thinks everyone should read. new episodes every Th...
iii. ranking what I read in 2025
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
the year is almost over, so you know what that means...that's right, I'm making a dang tier list of all the things I read in the dumpster fire that wa...
ii. what we're reading in the new year
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
the people have spoken. find out which 3 books we're reading January - March of next year! if you want to watch this episode, you can check it out ...
i. Preface
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the next chapter of Shoulda Books. Some things are changing. Some things are staying the same. Kinda like life, I guess? This mini-episode ...