Episodes

In the season three recap episode of the Book Club Podcast, host Carly is joined by frequent guests My Nguyen and Christy Lynn Horpedahl to discuss their experiences revisiting childhood classics like A Wrinkle in Time and The Giver. The conversation dives into themes of nostalgia, the portrayal of female characters, and the evolving nature of connection in a digital age. The trio reflects on how these books have shaped their understanding of the world and whether they prepared millennials for a...

In this special bonus episode of the Book Club Podcast, Carly, joined by Andrene and Joel from the Rewind Rewatch Podcast, delves into Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. They explore themes of genetic engineering, human arrogance, and scientific discovery, discussing character developments such as Hammond's moral irresponsibility, Nedry's sabotage, and Malcolm's philosophical insights. The episode examines the narrative role of Lex and Tim, the depiction of female characters, and the contrast bet...

In this episode of the Book Club Podcast, Carly, Margaret, and David delve into The Princess Bride by William Goldman. The discussion ranges from character connections, gender dynamics, and the significance of storytelling within stories, to the cultural impact and enduring nostalgia of the film. They also share their perspectives on the possibility of remaking the beloved movie and reflect on the broader genre themes present in both the book and film. Subscribe to our email newsletter on Subst...

In this episode of the Book Club Podcast, host Carly, an Elder Millennial, is joined by guest Jenni to discuss Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. The episode delves into personal anecdotes about discovering the series, revisiting the story, and its impact on their generation. They explore the book's plot, character relationships, societal themes, and the broader Harry Potter universe. The conversation also touches on the challenges and emotional aspects of revisiting beloved ch...

In this episode of the Book Club Podcast, host Carly and guest Margaret, both elder millennials, discuss the book Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien. The discussion includes a detailed summary of the plot, touching on Mrs. Frisbee’s journey to save her sick son, her encounters with wise mice and intelligent rats, and the mysterious background of the rats of NIMH. They delve into themes such as ecosystems and civilizations, the impact of scientific experimentation, and the lac...

In this episode of the Book Club Podcast, Carly Jackson and guest Christy Lynn Horpedahl discuss Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. They explore the themes of good versus evil, the importance of intelligence versus love, and the significance of Meg's faults. The conversation also touches on the unique loneliness and resilience of the protagonist, and the generational contrasts between boomers and millennials in the context of the novel. Listeners are encouraged to consider how classic storie...

Guests My and Jenni join Carly to talk about what it means to make choices for yourself and if experiencing pain and suffering is a good trade-off for being able to make choices for yourself. They also talk about the expectations put on Millennials in school to save the rainforests and the whales and to fix the hole in the Ozone. Jonas makes a choice that will change his whole society, have Millennials succeeded in changing our whole society? Subscribe to our email newsletter on Substack: https...

For our first book discussion on Millennial Nostalgia, guest host Christy joins Carly to talk about One in a Millennial by Kate Kennedy. One in a Millennial is a memoir capturing the experiences of one person growing up through the ‘90s and ending with a successful podcasting career. They compare their own experiences growing up on ‘90s TV and connecting to communities online and set up the questions for the rest of the season about connection, female characters, and how millennials were raised...

Season 3 of the Book Club Podcast starts now! This season, we are exploring Millennial Nostalgia. We’re reading books that we have loved since childhood to determine if they helped prepare us for adult life. Subscribe to our email newsletter on Substack at bookclubpod.com now and you can join the conversation with other listeners about each episode by leaving comments. Read One in a Millennial for our first book discussion. You can get your copy of all the books using our affiliate links here:...

In our long delayed recap episode for our Solarpunk season, Caroline and Carly reflect on what they have learned about how to organize society. Our Solar punk books were: Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach Book Club A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers Book Club The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk Book Club Suncatcher by Alia Gee Book Club The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin Book Club Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin Book Club Seveneves by Neal Stephenson Book Club Earth Abides by George R. S...

What happens to a post scarcity society when the fear of death is removed? In our final discussion for our Solar Punk season, Caroline and Carly ponder how curing death can help create a better society. They talk about some of the tradeoffs of living a completely free life with no possessions versus a wealthy life where your possessions can be taken away. Get your copy of the book using our affiliate link here: Walkaway by Cory Doctorow Subscribe to our email newsletter on Substack: https://w...

Special guest Margaret joins us to talk about rebuilding civilization after collapse and what we lose when civilization ends. We ask if people are capable of radical change. In this book, our main character, Ish, builds a family that grows into a new community in the years after a pandemic wipes out most of humanity. Get your copy of the books using our affiliate links here: Earth Abides by George R. Stewart Walkaway by Cory Doctorow Complete our feedback form and suggest books to read for f...

Special guest Christy joins us to talk about Neal Stephenson’s Seveneves, about the human response when the moon is destroyed in an unpredictable cataclysm. The main characters must build habitats in space to preserve the human race until Earth is restored. We discuss the traits of humanity that we want to preserve for future survival and the love of Earth strong enough to guide 5,000 years of human history. Get your copy of the books using our affiliate links here: Seveneves by Neal Stephenso...

We are wrapping up our season on Solar Punk with three heavy hitting books. The final three books of the season are Seveneves by Neal Stephenson, Earth Abides by George R. Stewart and Walkaway by Cory Doctorow.. Seveneves begins with the destruction of the moon, wiping out all life on Earth. Survivors build a civilization in space for 5,000 years, until the Earth is habitable again. In Earth Abides, a pandemic wipes out most of humanity and the main character travels the country, observing ho...

This short story inspired a wide-ranging conversation about how Carly and Caroline respond to climate change in their personal lives. They talk about how they can build a better society right now but they choose not to because they are unwilling to make certain trade-offs. Solar punk stories explore the potential for human society to respond to climate catastrophe to build a better society. In this story we have a picture of potential for a terrible society. Get your copy of the books using ou...

What happens in utopia 200 years later? Caroline and Carly discuss how utopian ideals survive entropy and scarcity and what it takes for a person to be able to objectively evaluate another society. Get your copy of the books using our affiliate links here: The Dispossessed “Emergency Skin” Complete our feedback form and suggest books to read for future seasons: https://forms.gle/d1czC4kmE9gmzCes8 Subscribe to our email newsletter on Substack: https://bookclubpod.substack.com/

This plot-filled story made Carly and Caroline ask questions about personhood. Personhood is defined by law in this book, which is not necessarily a bad thing. We also talk about what you have to leave behind to create something new. Get your copy of the books using our affiliate links here: Suncatcher, Seven Days in the Sky: https://amzn.to/44bjgiF The Dispossessed: https://amzn.to/3D3QWTG Complete our feedback form and suggest books to read for future seasons: https://forms.gle/d1czC4kmE9gm...

Season 2 of the Book Club Podcast continues with our indy, classic, and short story selections in the Solar Punk genre. Read with us! You can subscribe to our email newsletter at bookclubpod.substack.com. Subscribe now and you can join the conversation with other listeners about each episode by leaving comments. The next three books of the season are Suncatcher: Seven Days in the Sky by Alia Gee, The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin, and “Emergency Skin” by N.K. Jemisin. Suncatcher is an act...

This book makes us ask the hard questions like, what must be given up to achieve the dream of a better future? To heal 5,000 years of violence and destruction, what if it takes 5,000 more years to bend the arc of history? What is the true cost of nonviolence? Carly and Caroline delve into these questions and develop a fuller picture of the solar punk genre. Get your copy of the books using our affiliate links here: The Fifth Sacred Thing: https://amzn.to/43SGxpj Suncather, Seven Days in the Sk...

This novella seamlessly weaves philosophical questions about humanity’s place in the greater ecosystem within a delightful story about a monk and a robot. Caroline and Carly talk about shame as a prosocial instinct and whether or not the effect of shame changes when a society is healthy or unhealthy. You can get your copy of the books using our affiliate links here: A Psalm for the Wild-Built The Fifth Sacred Thing Complete our feedback form and suggest books to read for future seasons.

Our first solarpunk book is an environmental utopia with detailed explanations for how things work and why they were organized that way. The main character is a journalist traveling to Ecotopia for the first time in 20 years to report back on how they’re doing. Hosts Caroline and Carly talk about how shifting priorities on a societal level may change interpersonal relationships, how intelligence is valued in a non-hierarchical society and the role of violence in society. You can get your copy o...

Season 2 of the Book Club Podcast starts now! This season, we are reading Solarpunk. Solarpunk is a literary and artistic movement that envisions building a sustainable, technological future interconnected with nature and community. The "solar" represents solar energy as a renewable energy source and an optimistic vision of the future that rejects climate doomerism, while the "punk" refers to the countercultural, post-capitalist, and decolonial enthusiasm for creating such a future. We now have...

Happy Hogswatch! In this holiday bonus episode, Carly and Caroline discuss The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. They discuss the importance of belief in human society, unwritten rules, and what it means to have a narrative sense. They also talk about the meaning of Christmas and Santa Claus. Let us know which books we should read for future episodes by completing our Feedback Form here https://forms.gle/tT4UZ6De6tLbonrV6

For the final episode of Season 1, Caroline and Carly discuss what it means to be haunted. They share which of the books this season affected them the most, how the styles of different eras were reflected in the different framing devices used in the books, and how a few film and TV adaptations changed the stories. Subscribe now and so that you don’t miss our bonus episode on Hogfather by Terry Pratchett, coming in a few weeks. Also let us know which books we should read for future episodes by c...