Best Peculiar Book Club Podcasts (2025)

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We have a sense you'll like this conversation with Sam Kean and Dinner with King Tut 25:47

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18h ago25:47

25:47

From “one of America’s smartest and most charming writers” (NPR), an archaeological romp through the entire history of humankind—and through all five senses—from tropical Polynesian islands to forbidding arctic ice floes, and everywhere in between.Whether it’s the mighty pyramids of Egypt or the majestic temples of Mexico, we have a good idea of wh…

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We're Fighting Disinformation with Annalee Newitz and STORIES ARE WEAPONS 1:04:57

18h ago1:04:57

1:04:57

Featured : ANNALEE NEWITZ, Stories are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American MindJoining us for a second time, Annalee Newitz, best-selling author of Four Lost Cities, returns with a critical look at NOW—and the way Stories have become WEAPONS. How have disinformation, propaganda, and violent threats—the essential tool kit for psychologic…

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"The Fourth of You Lie" | We Were Liars Season One 1:23:27

8d ago1:23:27

1:23:27

"This is cartoon villain-level behavior." We're headed back to Beechwood! In this episode, we're discussing the new Amazon Prime adaptation of E. Lockhart's 2014 novel, We Were Liars, and we have a lot to say about it. Kellie reports exclusive behind-the-scenes details from the show's panels at ATX TV Festival featuring Julie Plec, Carina Adly Mack…

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You'll really dig our conversation with Elle Cosimano and Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave 23:56

11d ago23:56

23:56

From New York Times bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave—the hugely anticipated next installment in the fan-favorite Finlay Donovan series.Finlay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet . . . but at least there's not a body in her backyard. Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://brandyschillace.com/p…

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Fight for Science and Transgender Rights with Brandy Schillace! 1:18:34

14d ago1:18:34

1:18:34

Featured : BRANDY SCHILLACE, The Intermediaries: A Weimar StoryIt’s me! Bringing you the fascinating history of a daring team of sexologists who built the first trans clinic in the shadow of the Third Reich. Set in interwar Germany, The Intermediaries tells the forgotten story of The Institute for Sexual Science, the world’s first center for homose…

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You're in the club with Christopher Yates and The Rabbit Club (Peculiar Mystery Club) 25:20

14d ago25:20

25:20

The author of Black Chalk, "the smart summer thriller you've been waiting for" (NPR), returns with a mesmerizing new novel about a dangerous secret society at Oxford University, and the first-year Literature student whose life begins to unravel in its shadow.When Ali McCain, an eighteen-year-old from Los Angeles, is accepted at Oxford, it’s a chanc…

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"Sponsored by Oreo" | Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda 1:13:59

22d ago1:13:59

1:13:59

“The tilt a whirl…the most romantic ride at the carnival.” Happy Pride! We’re celebrating by reading one of the most popular coming-out stories not only of the 2010s, but maybe ever? It’s Becky Albertalli’s 2015 debut novel, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda. If that title’s not ringing any bells for you, this is the book that would go on to become…

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The summit is in sight with Sherpa (Peculiar Movie Club) 1:08:03

28d ago1:08:03

1:08:03

Welcome to the Peculiar Movie Club, a bonus podcast linked to our main show the Peculiar Book Club through common themes in media. This week, in honor of the book Tap Dancing on Everest, we are reviewing our first documentary Sherpa. Join Davey Berris and Darren Cross as they take a deep dive into this real life tragedy. We'll discuss the themes of…

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"Two Hours of Nothing" | The 5th Wave Movie Sneak Peek 5:21

29d ago5:21

5:21

UNLOCK THE FULL EPISODE BY SUBSCRIBING TO OUR PATREON AT PATREON.COM/REREADINGTHEREVOLUTION "Colin army rise up!" Our bonus episode this month as voted by our Patreon subscribers is The 5th Wave movie (2016)! We're rejoined by the book episode's special guest, our friend Colin, to get into the minutiae of acting choices, suggest improvements for fu…

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We're shuffling the deck with Krisit Belcamino and Queen of Spades (Peculiar Mystery Club) 21:45

30d ago21:45

21:45

From the dark underbelly of Sicily's Mafia to the heart-pounding streets of America, Eva Santella's tale is one of betrayal, vengeance, and an unquenchable thirst for justice.Once a fearless Mafia boss, Eva's world shattered when rival Sicilian families betrayed her. With a bounty on her head, she fled to America, seeking refuge in shadows and anon…

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"The Tumblr of It All" | We Were Liars 1:13:35

1M ago1:13:35

1:13:35

"Actually, while you’re here, I’m gonna make you think.” In honor of the upcoming Amazon Prime adaptation, we read E. Lockhart's summer mystery thriller, We Were Liars (2014)! We can’t say much about the plot, so instead I’ll share that some of my rejected title ideas included “Real Eyes Realize Real Lies” and “My Own Private Island.” If anyone ask…

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Sunrise on the Reaping Movie News (Special Episode!) 59:25

1M ago59:25

59:25

I don't even have a quote for this one. We're just really excited. This was supposed to be a Patreon-exclusive mini bonus, but there's already so much news surrounding the Sunrise on the Reaping movie that we had to make it a full-length episode--and they haven't even started filming yet. We're covering the cast in depth, as well as what we know ab…

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It's Time to Get Your Dancing Shoes (and Climbing Gear?) with Mimi Zieman 1:03:39

2M ago1:03:39

1:03:39

Featured : MIMI ZIEMAN, Tap Dancing on EverestWe humans are a risky bunch. It seems part of our make-up, or at least the make up of one small expedition of four climbers. Their mission: attempt a new route on the East Face of Mt. Everest, considered the most remote and dangerous side of the mountain, summitted only once before. That’s not all, thou…

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"Would You Still Love Me If I Was a Worm?" | The Host Part 2 1:03:17

2M ago1:03:17

1:03:17

"Their calling is to go work in the Cheeto factory." We're back with our second episode on The Host by Stephenie Meyer (2008)! Kellie and Daphne pick up from that dramatic Walter cliffhanger to take on the love square, body swaps, and low-stakes heists of the back half of the book, and I accidentally say "conclave" instead of "enclave" because we r…

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It's a long way down with Matthew Gavin Frank and Submersed 22:57

2M ago22:57

22:57

An exquisite, lyrical foray into the world of deep-sea divers, the obsession and madness that oceans inspire in us, and the story of submarine inventor Peter Madsen's murder of journalist Kim Wall—a captivating blend of literary prose, science writing, and true crime. Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://brandyschillace.com/peculiar/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsle…

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"Chosen One Syndrome" | Crossed Sneak Peek 5:26

2M ago5:26

5:26

UNLOCK THE FULL EPISODE BY SUBSCRIBING TO OUR PATREON AT PATREON.COM/REREADINGTHEREVOLUTION “Oh my god…they’re running through the desert?” Our May patron-voted book is Crossed, the 2011 sequel to Ally Condie's Matched, one of our early iconic episodes, if we do say so ourselves! In this bonus episode, we join Cassia and Ky for an absolutely baffli…

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Come Dig Up Some Flora-Fossils with Riley Black and Bethany Brookshire 1:11:36

2M ago1:11:36

1:11:36

Featured: RILEY BLACK, When the Earth Was Green: Plants, Animals, and Evolution's Greatest RomanceA favorite author returns! Once again featuring the marvelous Riley Black, author of The Last Days of the Dinosaurs, whose latest book takes a long look at prehistoric plants! It’s so rare that we see this type of book, one that gives us the actual lan…

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"One Giant Book" | The Host Part 1 53:24

2M ago53:24

53:24

"I guess there’s really not that many different alien storylines." Stephenie Meyer's 2008 book The Host is a behemoth. Kellie and Daphne take on the first half of the alien invasion story in part one of our first two-episode special. It's unexpected in a lot of ways, not least of which is how much we're enjoying it so far. Will Melanie's human spir…

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We're all a buzz about The Fly (Peculiar Movie Club) 1:12:01

2M ago1:12:01

1:12:01

Welcome to the Peculiar Movie Club, a bonus podcast linked to our main show the Peculiar Book Club through common themes in media. This week, in honor of the book Humans: a Monstrous History, we are reviewing the classic monster movie from 1986 The Fly. Join Davey Berris and Darren Cross as they take a deep dive into this body horror classic. We'll…

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We're giving credit where credit is due with Allison Tyra and Uncredited 26:05

2M ago26:05

26:05

Uncredited proves that not only have there been hundreds of ground-breaking women in all professions, but that their accomplishments have been overlooked, denigrated, or downright repressed by their male colleagues or historians. Uncredited explores why women have not been properly acknowledged for their accomplishments, both historically and today…

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There are Monsters Among Us with Surekha Davies and HUMANS 1:03:44

2M ago1:03:44

1:03:44

Featuring : SUREKHA DAVIES, Humans: A Monstrous HistoryGuess what? We are featuring one of our own! Surekha Davis, long time peculiar, debuts a book on monsters. I mean on humans. Well. I mean both. Why do humans make monsters, and what do monsters tell us about humanity? Davies reveals how people have defined the human in relation to everything fr…

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"Blatant Twilight Ripoff" | Hush, Hush 1:24:08

3M ago1:24:08

1:24:08

"It’s maybe the worst book I’ve ever read in my life." Sorry in advance to the Hush, Hush fans, but needless to say, we had some thoughts about Becca Fitzpatrick's 2009 novel. Namely, "why" and "how?" Daphne and Kellie talk fallen angels, nephilim, teen romance, unlikeable characters, terrible worldbuilding, and yes, tacos, in this supernatural epi…

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"Peak 2014 Culture" | The 100 Pilot Sneak Peek 1:51

3M ago1:51

1:51

UNLOCK THE FULL EPISODE BY SUBSCRIBING TO OUR PATREON AT PATREON.COM/REREADINGTHEREVOLUTION **Note: to avoid the new App Store subscription fee, subscribe through the desktop site, NOT the app!** "You would think it was written for this show and not Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark." Our patron-voted episode for this month is on The CW's The 100 pilot…

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We've got a long climb with Chuck Wendig and The Staircase in the Woods (Peculiar Mystery Club) 26:03

3M ago26:03

26:03

A group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods in this mesmerizing horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents. Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://brandyschillace.com/peculiar/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://eepurl.com/ixJJ2Y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https…

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"It's Been a Long Time Coming" | Sunrise on the Reaping 1:32:39

3M ago1:32:39

1:32:39

“I was genuinely afraid…I might throw up from crying so hard.” It’s the one you’ve all been waiting for…everything for the past three months has led to this. We’re joined by very special guest Emma Skies to discuss the most anticipated release since we launched our podcast, Sunrise on the Reaping (2025!). We return to District 12 one more time to c…

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We're making a splash with Free Willy (Peculiar Movie Club) 1:16:14

3M ago1:16:14

1:16:14

Welcome to the Peculiar Movie Club, a bonus podcast linked to our main show the Peculiar Book Club through common themes in media. This week, in honor of the book The Killer Whale Journals, we are reviewing a movie from our childhoods, 1993's Free Willy. Join Davey Berris and Darren Cross as they take a deep dive into this childhood favorite. We'll…

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We're having a sobering discussion with Abbi Waxman and One Death at a Time (Peculiar Mystery Club) 23:30

3M ago23:30

23:30

When Julia Mann, a bad-tempered ex-actress and professional thorn in the side of authority, runs into Natasha Mason at an AA meeting, it’s anything but a meet-cute. Julia just found a dead body in her swimming pool, and the cops say she did it (she already went to jail for murder once, so now they think she’s making a habit of it). Mason is eager t…

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Join Us for a "Killer" Show about WHALES! We're on the Seas with Hanne Strager 1:04:23

4M ago1:04:23

1:04:23

Featuring : HANNE STRAGER, The Killer Whale Journals: Our Love and Fear of OrcasORCA! It’s about time one of our Book Club shows featured these fascinating animals! When Hanne Strager, then an intrepid biology student, volunteered to be the cook on a small research vessel in Norway's Lofoten Islands, she couldn’t know the trip would launch a decade…

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"Rachel Zegler Defense Squad" | The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Movie 1:08:30

4M ago1:08:30

1:08:30

"Two things I love: you and cheating." We're back and rejoined by special guest and Ballad movie superfan Mara to cover the most recent movie in The Hunger Games series, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023). Unlike the book episode, we're all on the same page with this one--it's a shockingly good adaptation and valued addition to the franchise…

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"Snooze Fest" | The Scorch Trials Sneak Peek 3:14

4M ago3:14

3:14

UNLOCK THE FULL EPISODE BY SUBSCRIBING TO OUR PATREON AT PATREON.COM/REREADINGTHEREVOLUTION **Note: to avoid the App Store subscription fee, subscribe through the desktop site, NOT the app!** "There’s a lot of walking through the desert." Our patron-voted sequel episode for March is the sequel to The Maze Runner, James Dashner’s The Scorch Trials (…

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We'll All Be Faithful Unto DEATH with Paul Koudounaris 1:17:13

4M ago1:17:13

1:17:13

Featuring : PAUL KOUDOUNARIS, Faithful unto Death: Pet cemeteries, animal graves, and eternal devotionWhen a little dog named Cherry died in 1881, his owners arranged for a grave in a nearby gatekeeper's garden in London. At this time, the idea that a pet, even one that had lived as a family member, might be given a dignified burial was considered …

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We'll bring the road trip snacks with Sarah Kendzior and The Last American Road Trip 29:29

4M ago29:29

29:29

The New York Times bestselling author of They Knew, Hiding in Plain Sight, and The View from Flyover Country navigates a changing America as she and her family embark on a series of road trips, in a book that is part memoir, part history, and wholly unique. It is one thing to study the fall of democracy, another to have it hit your homeland -- and …

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"Full Commitment to Evil" | The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 1:20:11

4M ago1:20:11

1:20:11

"The takes are...catching fire." Things get a little contentious this week as we discuss and debate the most divisive book in the Hunger Games series, Suzanne Collins' surprise President Coriolanus Snow prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020). Follow us on social media @rereadingtherevolution for updates and behind-the-scenes details! Ho…

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You're Getting a BRAND NEW appreciation for the Female Body with Cat Bohannon and Eve 1:09:42

4M ago1:09:42

1:09:42

Featuring : CAT BOHANNON, Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human EvolutionYou loved Rachel Gross’s VAGINA OBSCURA? Of course you did. Then you MUST join us for this myth-busting, eye-opening landmark account of how humans evolved—answering questions like what IS the female body? How did it come to be? How does this evolution stil…

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"Try Not to Say Mother Challenge" | The Mockingjay Movies 1:17:14

4M ago1:17:14

1:17:14

"Hippie motto: Peace, love, and comfort." Kellie, Daphne, and special guest Camille are back to discuss the less-loved half of the original Hunger Games movie franchise, Mockingjay: Part 1 (2014), and Mockingjay: Part 2 (2015). Surfboards are awarded, wigs are discussed at length, and minds are maybe even changed. Then, we continue discussing the c…

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We're Killing it with Deanna Raybourn and Kills Well with Others (Peculiar Mystery Club) 27:58

5M ago27:58

27:58

“Much like fine wine, battle-hardened assassins grow better with age.” #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age. After more than a year of la…

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We will seek out new life with Star Trek: The Next Generation (Peculiar Movie Club) 1:19:50

5M ago1:19:50

1:19:50

Welcome to the Peculiar Movie Club, a bonus podcast linked to our main show the Peculiar Book Club through common themes in media. This week, in honor of the book The Possibility of Life, we are stepping away from the movie world and into the TV world with 3 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. They are: season 3 episode 2 "The Ensigns of Co…

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"Indie Poppin' Off" | The Fault in Our Stars Movie Sneak Peek 4:20

5M ago4:20

4:20

UNLOCK THE FULL EPISODE BY SUBSCRIBING TO OUR PATREON AT PATREON.COM/REREADINGTHEREVOLUTION **Note: to avoid the new App Store subscription fee, subscribe through the desktop site, NOT the app!** "Honestly, Gus gave me the creeps." We had a feeling you'd pick this one. Our patron-voted film episode for February is The Fault in Our Stars! We cover i…

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Slow down, take a breath with Carl Zimmer and Air-Borne 32:14

5M ago32:14

32:14

The fascinating, untold story of the air we breathe, the hidden life it contains, and invisible dangers that can turn the world upside down Every day we draw in two thousand gallons of air—and thousands of living things. From the ground to the stratosphere, the air teems with invisible life. This last great biological frontier remains so mysterious…

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We'll Discover the Possibility of LIFE with Jaime Green! 1:05:49

5M ago1:05:49

1:05:49

Featuring:JAIME GREEN, The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the CosmosOne of the most powerful questions humans ask about the cosmos is: Are we alone? While the science behind this inquiry is fascinating, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It is a reflection of our values, our fears, and most importantly, our endur…

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"Katniss and Snow Diva-Off" | Mockingjay 1:22:37

5M ago1:22:37

1:22:37

"This one's for the Gale haters." We're wrapping up the original Hunger Games series with the controversial finale, Mockingjay (2010). Kellie, Daphne, and special guest Jared discuss their shifting views on the book, the cultural relevance and impact of the series, and the DRAMA of it all. The Hunger Games in Real Protests: https://www.bbc.com/news…

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We'll have you believing in Lydia Kang and Pseudoscience 32:48

5M ago32:48

32:48

From the authors of Quackery, a visual and narrative history of popular ideas, phenomena, and widely held beliefs disproven by science. From the easily disproved to the wildly speculative, to straight-up hucksterism, Pseudoscience is a romp through much more than bad science—it’s a light-hearted look into why we insist on believing in things such a…

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"Tucci Gang" | The Hunger Games and Catching Fire Movies 1:28:49

5M ago1:28:49

1:28:49

"When we said the Hutcherssance, we were there. We were ready for it to take off." You asked for hot takes and boy, do you get them in this episode. Kellie, Daphne, and special guest and verified Hunger Games expert Camille sit down to discuss two of our favorite book-to-film adaptations of all time: The Hunger Games (2012) and The Hunger Games: Ca…

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Our minds and bodies will be linked with Pamela Ryckan and Candace Pert 1:07:24

6M ago1:07:24

1:07:24

I loved this book so much that I wrote the Wall Street Journal review for it! It’s an absolutely madcap and unexpected take on history I thought I knew… But I hadn’t yet encountered Candace Pert. This amazing scientist stood at the dawn of three revolutions: the opioid crisis, the AIDS crisis, and the mind-body movement. A troubled genius, beleague…

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"The Worst Book Yet" | The Elite Sneak Peek 5:27

6M ago5:27

5:27

UNLOCK THE FULL EPISODE BY SUBSCRIBING TO OUR PATREON AT PATREON.COM/REREADINGTHEREVOLUTION **Note: to avoid the new App Store subscription fee, subscribe through the desktop site, NOT the app!** "We do more research for one episode of the podcast." Our patron-voted sequel episode for January is the sequel to The Selection, Kiera Cass' The Elite (2…

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We've got the optics on The Invisible Man (Peculiar Movie Club) 1:09:12

6M ago1:09:12

1:09:12

Welcome to the Peculiar Movie Club, a bonus podcast linked to our main show the Peculiar Book Club through common themes in media. This week, in honor of the book Invisibility, we are doing the 2020 reboot of The Invisible Man. Join Davey Berris and Darren Cross as they take a deep dive into this inventive horror/thriller. We'll discuss the themes …

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"Greatest Sequel Ever Written" | Catching Fire 1:21:26

6M ago1:21:26

1:21:26

"Let's fulfill our contractual obligation of getting married." We're continuing our Hunger Games extravaganza with one of the best sequels ever written--Catching Fire (2009). In this episode, Daphne and Kellie address the love triangle (Team Peeta all the way), fan theories, the crazy amount of prequel sideshadowing in this book, and THAT ending. D…

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You might struggle to see us with Gregory Gbur and Invisibility 1:03:16

6M ago1:03:16

1:03:16

It’s like that Monty Python Sketch… There are good reasons to know how not to be seen, and Gregory Gbur is ready to tell us all about the SCIENCE. Come now, you say, it isn’t really possible to be made invisible! Or is it? You’ll be surprised! In this book, science writer and optical physicist Gregory J. Gbur traces the science of invisibility from…

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We've got some real bite with Interview with the Vampire (Peculiar Movie Club) 55:35

6M ago55:35

55:35

Welcome to the Peculiar Movie Club, a bonus podcast linked to our main show the Peculiar Book Club through common themes in media. This week, in honor of the book Bite, we are doing the 1994 horror/romance film Interview with the Vampire Join Davey Berris and Darren Cross as they take a deep dive into this 90's classic. We'll discuss the themes of …

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"Mommy's Favorite" | The Hunger Games 1:24:09

6M ago1:24:09

1:24:09

"Peeta and I would've been kissing in that cave and it would've been real." IT'S FINALLY HERE! We're starting the year with a bang by setting off on our greatest adventure yet--reading and watching the entire Hunger Games series in the lead-up to the release of Sunrise on the Reaping. In this episode, we go back to the very beginning, Suzanne Colli…